Sweet Surrender
by Ms Velvela
Summary: With the return of the fugitive Severus Snape and the secrets he possesses, the Wizarding world shall never be the same again...including one Hermione Granger, who unwittingly gets caught up in the middle of everything.
1. The Return

**A/N: Welcome to my Severus/Hermione story, everyone! In case you are wondering already, I would like to clarify that this particular tale holds true all books untll the end of HBP, and disregarding DH entirely! Basically, speaking in much simpler and somewhat immodest terms, what you're about to read is my experiment at writing my very own fantasy version of book 7! *muahaha***

**First things first, I really do not like the way the first chapter turned out but I decided to leave it as it was. What I recommend you to do is to read it with an open mind and then progress towards the coming chapters as they come – it shall fall more smoothly there (though with an occasional bump on the road nonetheless!)**

**Enjoy! :)**

**Ms Velvela XD**

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><p><strong><em><strong>DISCLAIMER: <strong>_**_The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story._

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><p><strong>The Return<strong>

'I personally think that we have made the right choice by coming back to Hogwarts, Harry,' said Hermione once the last first-year student had been sorted.

The black-haired wizard in question only cast a doubtful glance at Hermione whilst a loud snort from a freckled young man on her right-hand side clearly seconded his friend's notion.

She, however, much to her credit, as always ignored the duo. It was not the first – nor she feared, the last – time the three of them had had this argument. It had continued all summer at the Burrow once she and Harry moved in to spend the rest of the holidays with the Weasley family.

'Look at it this way,' continued a whispering Hermione, refusing to comply with their thickheadedness. 'Where would you have even started your search for the Horcruxes? You have just turned seventeen, for Merlin's sake! No matter how much trouble you have managed to get yourself into in the past, nothing can possibly compare to running off without even knowing what to look for in the first place. Besides, what about your education? I know how eager you are to become an Auror, but even the Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't be taken without the required N.E.W.T.s!'

'I know that. But there's still the small matter of a certain someone who murdered the closest thing I had to a father-figure in my life. Or have you already forgotten about that?' hissed Harry with vehemence.

Hermione regarded her friend for a moment with something akin to anger and despair.

'I fear your mania for justice and revenge will be the end of you some day,' she pronounced.

With a brisk look around him for unwanted eavesdroppers, Harry leaned closer across the dining table and continued with a quieter, yet no less feverish, timbre than before.

'As it is, I can't care less at this point what the Wizarding society thinks of me, as long as I finish him off once and for all. Hogwarts will never be the same without Dumbledore. I have been robbed of too many things for that, Hermione. Once, I thought nothing would ever compare to what I felt when Sirius died...well, I was wrong.'

There was downright nothing Hermione could respond to that. This past year, she could do nothing but gradually transform into a silent witness to the hardness that developed within her dearest friend. Before that, there was a time when she believed that Harry would somehow overcome the death of his godfather, but the blow of Dumbledore's death was too much to contain in grieving acceptance.

Whilst a morsel of Harry's hope for familial content died with Sirius Black, with Albus Dumbledore, nearly all hope for triumph against the approaching abyss perished.

Ron emitted a rough cough with an uneasy glance directed towards his empty plate. However, with a resolute look at Harry, his jaw visibly firmed in determination.

'No one's trying to tell you how to feel, mate. Hell, that's exactly the last thing we will ever do to you! After all you have been through, you are entitled to all this and more. However, I will have to step back and agree with 'Mione on one thing; the last thing Dumbledore would have wished you to do is rush into anything blindfolded, unequipped and risking your scrawny neck in the process. It may be hard to hear, but your life is more important than anyone else's. In the end, even Dumbledore's, and he confessed it to you himself.'

Judging by Harry's rapidly rising colour, he was about to express what he really thought about the two of them and their ideas in vivid detail. Before he had a chance to angrily open his mouth, Hermione leaned over and firmly grabbed his arm with soft pleading shining in her eyes.

'Please, Harry. Let it go for the time being. The important thing is that all three of us are still sitting together and breathing, which means that nothing is lost yet. You will know when the time comes for the next step.'

It appeared for a little while that the young wizard in front of her would say something, but after taking in the faces of his friends, he elected to retreat. With a soothing pat on Hermione's hand, he finally turned towards the countless platters overflowing with food that surrounded them. The start-of-term feast had officially begun without any of them noticing.

'Alright,' sighed Harry a short time later, moodily spearing a roasted potato with his fork. 'As long as nothing unbalances me in the near future, I promise to be more level-headed in my decisions. You are finally starting to rub off on me, Hermione.'

The young witch grinned and playfully slapped his hand, the one still clutching the fork. In consequence, the three of them could only watch as the potato speedily soared across the air and, with an audible, oily plash, smacked Seamus Finnigan's cheek.

Ron burst out laughing, his own bits of half-chewed potato flying out of his mouth. Hermione grimaced in revulsion but was unable to stick to the propriety of a Prefect for long and giggled.

Staring at the scene in front of him, Harry's emerald eyes regained their sparkle behind his glasses just as the corner of his mouth began to twitch.

Before Harry Potter could smile, though, the grand doors of the Great Hall banged open.

In the deafening silence that followed, Hermione was reassured much later on that she was not the only one who stared at the doorway in dumbfounded refusal to believe what she was actually seeing. She was, however, the only one who managed to detach her unsettled gaze from the sight, only for her eyes to fall upon Harry. When they did, she found herself staring at such fury and hatred that she had never even dreamed of seeing in her worst nightmares in those familiar green eyes.

A fury that could slaughter without mercy...

For within the doors stood Severus Snape.


	2. Surrounded

**Surrounded**

For what seemed like an infinite stretch of time, the Great Hall remained in utter silence as everyone sat immobile, staring at the cloaked wizard shadowing the entrance.

The stillness was outlandishly broken by the sound of a falling wand two tables down.

With that momentum, gasps and shrieks broke out, scattering along the students. A number of younger ones appeared to have lost all of their common sense and expeditiously slid under the dining tables. Only Slytherin House remained firmly in their seats, though more than one face failed to hide a genuine expression of bafflement and shock.

Throughout that brief period of commotion, Severus Snape remained entirely motionless without a mere flicker of his eye betraying his reaction.

Just as the bedlam of noise and panic began to escalate, a commanding voice of authority rose above all else.

'_SILENCE!_'

Except for an unidentifiable whimpering from one of the first-years, the Great Hall became quiet once more.

From the centre of the teachers' table rose Minerva McGonagall, cutting an imposing figure as ever in her black robes and pointed hat. The usual stern face she wore was nothing compared to what was showing on her countenance now.

Swiftly climbing down the raised platform with all the members of staff flanking her, McGonagall crossed the length of the hall. Stopping more or less 20 feet away from her target, the eyes of the elderly witch patently shone with her wrath as they settled on her former colleague. Her nostrils visibly flared as she took a quivering breath and opened her mouth.

Whatever she was about to say, however, was instantly thwarted by Hermione's sudden scream.

In the midst of observing the mute dramatics unfolding in front of everyone else's eyes, Hermione at first failed to notice how Harry had begun to shake. With every passing moment, his raging control speedily slipped away until the last shred of his restraint irrevocably evaporated.

When she finally turned towards her friend, it was too late.

'Harry, _NO!_'

The young wizard was already on his feet and, with a velocity that might have turned his corporeal Firebolt green with envy, shot towards the Death Eater.

The former professor, who wore a visibly dishevelled look, was taken by surprise. The next second, he was roughly deposited upon the cold stone underneath Harry as a punch crashed into his jaw with deadly and dynamic precision. For all purposes and appearances, it seemed like Harry forgot the entire meaning of the word "wand" and, as an alternative, decided to let out his entire repressed wrath through the primitive sport of Muggle dueling.

Harry managed to deliver Snape a second strike right into his nose with an audible, sickening crack before Minerva McGonagall finally found it within herself to come out of her shocked state and brandish her wand.

'_Expelliarmus!_'

Though Harry was wandless, there was enough force behind McGonagall's intent to alleviate the situation. As a result, he was promptly thrown up about a foot into the air before sliding across the floor to a stop.

With every pair of eyes now trained upon him, Harry Potter climbed back to his feet with some effort, his body shaking with indignation. His tightly clenched fists were rigidly pressed to either side of his body, but it appeared that he had no further plans to succumb to brawl frenzy for the time being. His gaze, however, never once swayed from his target.

Hermione hesitated on deciding what she should do now. After rising in her panic at Harry's behaviour, she had ended up standing a short distance away from her teachers. Feeling more than a little self-conscious, she nevertheless walked resolutely up to Harry and placed herself at his side. With a comforting hand on his shoulder, she felt a portion of his tension slip away with her comfort.

And everyone else be damned about what they thought.

Throwing a brief thankful look at her, Harry got a glimpse at the elderly witch in front of them at last and flinched. McGonagall did not say a word, but her pursed lips spoke volumes.

'Prefects, would you please escort the students to their common rooms with as much decorum as possible. I am afraid the welcoming feast will terminate early tonight. The food shall be sent to your Houses as soon as the kitchens are notified,' addressed the Headmistress to the room in general.

The student body eagerly responded to her as everyone hastily began to vacate their tables. Walking widely round the gathered company in order to avoid them, the Great Hall soon became deserted. Ron was the only student left, and he shifted his feet in uncertainty when neither Harry nor Hermione made a move towards the exit.

With nothing much else left for her to do, Hermione finally let herself look at the man lying on the floor in front of them.

At first glance nothing had changed about Professor Snape since she saw him last, over three fateful months ago.

His obsidian black hair was still hanging long, framing the pale skin that had produced numerous absurd suggestions concerning vampirism. The infamous hooked nose that possessed the habit of putting itself into other people's business was in its rightful place. Though the robed form failed to convey anything out of the ordinary, he was certainly as tall and lean as he had been when she saw him on her first day at Hogwarts.

Nevertheless, all that did not stop Hermione from feeling an unpleasant pull in her gut that told her that something about the picture in front of her wasn't right.

'Charming reception. If I did not know better, I wouldn't have put it past you to have rehearsed it.'

Even his soft voice wrapped in sarcasm had not altered. On some level it astounded Hermione how he still possessed the ability to stay so composed when she clearly saw blood dripping from wounds above his brow and nose, which was visibly swollen. Harry must have broken it.

'You get the welcome you deserve, Mr. Snape, but I am delighted to inform you that you have seen nothing yet. I bet Azkaban will even throw a welcoming party for you,' drawled McGonagall unsmilingly.

'Azkaban? We should just finish him off now, and let that be the end of it,' growled Harry.

Professor McGonagall only calmly looked back at her student but this time with a shadow of sad compassion in her eyes. None of it, however, was heard in her voice when she spoke next.

'Mr. Potter, neither of us, and especially not you, will do anything to Mr. Snape. I think we have had enough killing to last us a long time. Like with any other criminal, the full lawful judgement of the Ministry of Magic shall be passed upon him. And on that mark, I think we have no other reason to delay,' she explained and turned towards the looming shape of Hagrid, who stood closest to her.

'Professor Hagrid, please send an owl to the Minister and inform him of the unexpected circumstances concerning the surrender of Mr. Snape. The Ministry will be more than delighted to question him as soon as possible about certain topics, I am sure.'

'I would be honoured to do jus' that, Headmistress,' declared the half-giant and, with a departing look of disgust at the Death Eater, turned towards the doors. He was about to cross the threshold when the voice of Severus Snape stopped him in his tracks.

'In your place, _Professor_ Hagrid,' he sneered, 'I would do no such thing- at least for the time being. A few matters have to be resolved first.'

Hagrid whirled around angrily to face the man he had once trusted and respected.

'Nobody asked fer yer opinion, Snape! Jus' lie where yeh are an' accept the payment fer yer dark deeds. I jus' hope that yeh follow the same path that yer Dark Lord does sooner or later!' he bellowed with a fury neither Harry, Ron nor Hermione had ever witnessed in their old friend. The image was certainly disturbing, to say the least.

Snape did not seem discomfited by Hagrid's anger as he gave him a humourless smile. An unidentifiable expression flickered within the dark depths of his eyes, and whatever it was caused Hermione's stomach to clench again.

'You do not understand.'

Something about that softly muttered comment set Harry off again.

'"_UNDERSTAND_"? I understand more than enough, considering I was in the Tower when you turned your wand upon a weakened Dumbledore! You are nothing but a coward!' he roared.

This time round, Hermione did manage to stop Harry from descending upon Snape again. The sudden wrench of her hold on his waist, however, sent the two of them sprawling onto the ground. The three of them, Snape, Hermione and Harry, were now occupying the floor of the Great Hall, and not a single one appeared to be much happy about it.

'That is quite enough of your theatrics, Potter! Hagrid, resume your route to the school owlery, if you please,' ordered Professor McGonagall sternly, shooting a disapproving glance in Harry's direction.

'I am telling you! You-Do-Not-_Understand_!' exclaimed Snape, locking glances with the baleful stare of the Headmistress.

'I see that you are very persistent in your knowledge of our ignorance- whatever that might be. Very well. Do enlighten us, Severus, before my patience runs its course and you are promptly whisked to Azkaban with no questions asked!'

Yet another cloud of something unrecognizable crossed the wizard's features as he surveyed everyone present. At last he turned back to the Headmistress and unblinkingly peered into her face for a moment or two before answering.

'I would rather this conversation be confidential, Minerva.'

McGonagall grimaced at the familiarity of address but nonetheless glanced towards the three students, two of whom were still on the floor. The older witch appeared visibly undetermined as to what she should do next. All the same, as soon as she spied Harry's mouth opening again, her decision was made.

'Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, escort your friend, Mr. Potter, to your common room, and stay there. I will trust your discretion that not a word of what transpired just now shall be spread around. Good night.'

With the entire faculty of Hogwarts staring at them, Hermione saw no other choice but to briskly nod.

'Of course, Professor McGonagall. We, err, will see you tomorrow then. Good night, Professors,' she mumbled, trying to rise up from the floor as gracefully as possible.

Grasping both Harry and an utterly bewildered Ron under their elbows, she proceeded to drag them out of the Great Hall. Before they could make it fully out of the doors, Harry momentary resisted, and they stopped.

Wheeling partially back, he resolutely demanded of the Headmistress of Hogwarts:

'What are you going to do with him?'

'That, Mr. Potter, is none of your business,' the witch dryly replied. 'Now off you go before I deduct house points before the term even officially starts!'

As the three of them departed for Gryffindor Tower at last, Hermione unwillingly looked back over her shoulder.

The portrait of the blood-covered Severus Snape as he lay there upon the ground, surrounded by the wrath of his former colleagues of so many years, was the last thing she saw before the doors of the Great Hall shut firmly behind them.

And for some unsettling reason, Hermione's heart shrank painfully at this image of the fallen dark wizard.


	3. Understandings of Knowledge

**A/N: Alright, so far this is all I am going to upload for now! I am rather cautious nature and would prefer to see a story online which a large number of people like and positively respond to, then to have one which no one reads and doesn't review. Harsh, but true!**

**So far (23.06.2011) I have the first 8 chapters completed, with the ninth one just finished and in capable heads of my wonderful beta.**

**I hope you are enjoying this! X**

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><p><strong>Understandings of Knowledge<strong>

Hogwarts' top headline the next day was awarded to the sudden and rather unexpected appearance of the former Head of Slytherin.

Hermione watched with anxiety as every tenth syllable of the gossip being whispered around every corner of the school escalated Harry's abysmal mood until his face could rival their House colour. Not to be left behind, Ron wasn't overly happy with the atmosphere either. His breaking point came during the first break of the day when he stumbled upon a couple of first years loudly pronouncing to the world that Severus Snape was none other than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself in disguise. Upon overhearing that certain detail, he spent a full half hour screaming, managed to deduct fifty points from the two trembling Ravenclaws and, in order to fully drive the point home, gave both three months' worth of detention.

It was pointless to argue whether the young wizards had learned their lesson when gaping students were later presented with the sight of a muttering Ron Weasley levitating two limp bodies towards the Infirmary. The chatter audibly dulled after that.

'What do you think?'

Harry's voice sharply intruded into Hermione's desperate concentration. Even though it was the first day of school, she already had plenty of homework due for tomorrow, and the last thing she needed was to be tormented with yet another interrogation.

'Has Snape already been questioned by the Aurors? Do you think he's in Azkaban?' demanded Harry impatiently, totally oblivious to Hermione's rising annoyance.

The young witch muttered darkly, 'I neither know nor do I much care about that right now, Harry. Just stay put and finish your essay, which is required for tomorrow! Wherever he is now, I highly doubt that the knowledge of Snape's whereabouts will help you in figuring out how to avoid blowing yourself up to kingdom come whilst crushing an Erumpent horn to powder! No matter what transpired yesterday, Professor McGonagall is more then competent to make the right decision.'

Right on cue, the momentary silence in the Gryffindor Common Room was broken by the opening of the Fat Lady's portrait. Considering the lateness of the hour, the dozen or so students present whirled towards the sound and were presented with the unsettling sight of none other than the figure of the Headmistress herself standing in the doorway. All those who were indulging in languid laziness hastily grabbed whatever reading material lay closest, and the room was quickly filled with the sound of wild scribbling.

Hermione's hopes of finishing her homework in peace evaporated to dust once she realized that the Headmistress was purposefully striding towards the table she and Harry occupied. Unlike her best friend, who had jumped up at the same moment the professor had entered the room, Hermione wasn't so eager to abandon her as yet incomplete four-foot parchment.

'Mr. Potter, Miss Granger. I apologize for intruding upon your study time,' she said, sparing a minuscule smile for the grim-looking young witch, 'but I am afraid I find myself in need of your assistance. Professor Hagrid was kind enough to inform me that the two of you have extensive knowledge of flubberworms.'

A number of snickers were briskly stifled, and some Gryffindors went so far as to quickly depart the chamber in silent, but nonetheless shaking hilarity.

Harry Potter just stood there with a baffled expression whilst his study partner's face transformed into something that looked like murderous intent.

'_Flubberworms_?' she hissed outrageously.

Professor McGonagall simply nodded but was seemingly unaffected by one of her favourite students' aggravation.

'Yes, that's correct. Now, please be so kind as to follow me. Regrettably, Care of Magical Creatures was not my strongest subject during my school years, and Professor Hagrid is presently occupied with a rather feisty pair of Glumbumbles of some sort. This really cannot wait until tomorrow, and, with you being the most qualified individuals in that subject at this time of night, I would be gratified if you would accompany me to my office. Oh, and there is no need to fetch Mr. Weasley. I am sure he is already dreaming of matchsticks and broomsticks by now. The two of you will be more than enough.'

Without further ado the elderly witch turned towards the portrait with a swiftness that belied her age and floated out of the common room, obviously expecting the duo to follow her.

Sharing a dumbfounded look with his friend, Harry merely shrugged.

'I guess we should go with her. Will have to have a word with Hagrid tomorrow, though. Flubberworm experts?'

Though fuming, Hermione saw no other way out of the ridiculous dilemma but hurriedly gathered all of her parchment and quills together and scampered after the pair. With her homework clutched possessively to her chest, she did not stop grumbling under her breath until they reached the Headmistress' office.

For, when they finally did arrive, her vocal cords ceased to function entirely.

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><p>After what felt like a long drawn-out journey towards their destination, the three of them at last halted in front of the infamous stone gargoyle guarding the room beyond. Turning towards the two Gryffindors, Professor McGonagall appeared to scrutinize them closely before giving a not so delicate sniff of apprehension.<p>

'Very well. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger – just keep your attention focused and minds open. Catnip!'

The gargoyle jumped out of the way, and, wasting no more time on pleasantries, the witch started climbing the stairs towards her office.

'I do not like this, Hermione. Not one bit,' grumbled Harry, eyes wide behind his glasses. As the two of them followed suit, unbidden visions of hundreds of flubberworms fallen victim to an Engorgio spell floated through their heads.

Momentary halting in front of the wooden door, the Headmistress whirled around yet again.

'I almost forgot to take precautions. Better be safe, rather than crying over spilt potion later.'

Before either of them could jump back, a wand was flourished right in front of their faces.

'_Silencio. Accio wands_!'

The young wizard and witch stood rooted to the spot with their mouths hanging open, refusing to fully comprehend what had just happened. They had been through a lot together the past few years; battling against the wit of their superiors, endangering their lives in unsanctioned battles against Death Eaters and even suffering through verbal abuse from a deranged house-elf. However, they had _never_ been physically assaulted by a teacher before. And disarmed, at that.

To Hermione it was a clear sign that the cosmic universe was coming to an end.

Her cynical theory was quickly transformed into assurance that doom had already come upon them when McGonagall unlocked the door (their wands safely deposited into her robe pockets) and the large circular room was bared to their gaze. That doom within her mind was lucidly presented by the sole figure of Severus Snape sitting in one of the visitor's chairs, idly sipping from a black mug and, to all appearances, having no other care in the world.

After calmly positioning herself behind the grand desk as if the presence of a notorious Death Eater in the room was a regular occurrence, the Headmistress cocked her head to the side with both of her eyebrows raised nearly to the top of her hat.

'Mr. Potter, do stop presenting a version of Muggle moving mime pictures. You look positively ridiculous. And may I remind you – that is if you had paid any attention during your fifth year in Charms – that the Silencing Charm just eliminates the projection of your voice but does not stop the function of your vocal cords. We wouldn't wish you to silently shout yourself hoarse, after all.'

Harry, looking like he fervently craved the return of his wand, reluctantly brought to a halt his unrestrained gesturing and shut his mouth with a distinct click. With his whole face still aflame, he simply pointed violently towards the black-clad wizard lounging in front of her desk.

On her own behalf, Hermione decided to keep her mouth firmly shut. In contrast to her friend, she knew better than to waste time on a trivial and obviously futile cause. Her thinking process, on the other hand, was doing triple summersaults, but she was far too shocked and confused to come up with a single explanation as to what the hell was going on.

One thing was clear... flubberworms had nothing to do with it.

In the meantime her eyes absently roved around the office, noting all the numerous changes that had taken place around the chamber since her last visit there. Reminiscing upon that, she chanced to glance at the wall behind the Head's desk. Unbidden tears came to her eyes as she gazed at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, peacefully snoozing with his ever-present half-moon spectacles perched precariously on the tip of his nose.

Striving to wipe her eyes surreptitiously with her sleeve, she joined Harry in staring angrily at Snape.

In comparison with the day before, the dark wizard's appearance was, to the notch, exactly like the day Hermione had set foot in the Great Hall for her welcoming feast. With blood no longer covering his gaunt face and nose back into its unbroken, yet still hooked state, even his scowl was back. If Hermione did not know better, she would have thought that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and that Professor Snape was still the same dark and mysterious man in whom only Dumbledore trusted.

But even Albus Dumbledore himself had been fooled in the end, the man whose only weakness had been to see only the best in everyone around him.

That thought finally raised the unavoidable question of why Snape was neither in some dank Ministry dungeon or locked up for good within Azkaban itself. The same notion seemed to be plaguing Harry, judging by his return to fierce gesticulation, going so far as to shake a trembling fist in McGonagall's direction. To the witch's credit, her sole visible response to such a blatant provocation was a slight tightening around the corners of her mouth.

'Now, now, Mr. Potter. Control your impatience,' she cautioned and glanced towards her former colleague. 'Severus, begin before this mayhem gets even more out of control. Miss Granger, I think that since you are the most sensible one, I have no need for this any longer.'

A swish of her wand indicated that Hermione was no longer constricted by muteness. However, before she could open her mouth to release all the inevitable questions rushing through her head, she was interrupted by the thud of a mug being forcefully set upon the table.

'And what, tell me, do I owe this bunch? I am rather set with the situation as it is,' Snape sneered.

Professor McGonagall's lips thinned further to the point where they were barely visible.

'We have discussed this already. Since Potter was a first-hand witness to your actions, the least you can do is tell him the truth yourself.'

If it was possible, the Dark Eater's expression blackened even further. Observing the now totally still figure of Harry, Snape rolled his baleful eyes towards Hermione.

'Fine! But I personally see no reason to share this delicate information with her. I do not give a damn if she is one of Potter's sidekick friends. In my opinion, there is no need to further apprise someone who already walks and talks like an over-bulky encyclopedia.'

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she unconsciously pressed her parchment closer to her chest. The nerve! Bristling with indignation and rising anger, she screamed out a protest against the first offense her mind registered.

'I am not fat!'

It seemed that Professor McGonagall had finally had enough and, with a slap upon her polished desk, exclaimed, 'Stop it with your childlike behavior, both of you! Severus, the sooner you get on with it, the earlier this meeting shall finish. We have countless pressing matters as it is!'

With a swish of his robes, the wizard rose from his seat and began to pace. Obviously reaching some decision, he halted in the middle of the room, squarely facing his two former students. His posture tall and rigid, he continued to regard them with an air of superiority that irked Hermione to no end.

'Exactly two weeks prior to the start of your sixth year, I was approached by Narcissa Malfoy. After Lucius' failure to acquire the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries and his consequent imprisonment, Draco was inevitably compelled to make up for his father's fiasco by the Dark Lord himself. The boy had no other choice but to take the Dark Mark. Therefore, his mother begged me to watch over and protect her only son by all means possible. I took the Unbreakable Vow to protect him from any harm to the best of my ability. At the start of his sixth year, he was set a task to kill Albus Dumbledore and help the Death Eaters gain access to Hogwarts itself. His method of achieving that seemingly impossible assignment you already know yourself. When all ends came together on top of the Astronomy Tower, Draco failed to kill Dumbledore himself and, in the process, belatedly realized what he was doing was a dreadful mistake. Even surrounded by numerous Death Eaters nagging him to complete the job, he did not utter the Killing Curse. Bound with the Vow, I saw no other choice but to kill Albus myself.'

A prolonged silence settled within the chamber as the last words vibrated along its walls.

'And you find that justified?' Hermione's voice quivered with emotion. 'You could have easily found another way around that damned Vow without killing him.'

Snape's eyes focused on her with the intensity of a pitch-black hurricane.

'Then there is one more thing you should know, Miss Granger, before making assumptions that are well beyond your level of understanding. Dumbledore assigned me the task of killing him myself _when_ and_ if_ such situation arose. I did only what he ordered me to do. As per usual.'

Self-hatred etched harsh lines around his mouth as he spat out his next words.

'Always loyal to one belief alone, risking my hide over and over again for a cause that is long dead. Released from one vow, I now find myself bound by a promise made to a dead man to keep on protecting those who would rather see me tortured, quartered and scattered along the dirt of the Forbidden Forest.'

Further silence followed, somehow more profound and fathomless than the one before.

With her eyes trained upon her tightly folded hands, McGonagall softly spoke.

'I can personally vouch for the certainty that everything that has been said here is an undeniable truth. Followed by today's closed trial at the Ministry, review of associated memories and administration of Veritaserum, Severus Snape has been pardoned of all charges held against him. In accordance with the present situation we all find ourselves in, I have come to the decision to reinstate his position within Hogwarts faculty as well.'

The wizard in question frowned at his superior with an impatience that was rarely portrayed by him.

'Yes, yes. I am coming to the point,' muttered the witch, catching her colleague's eye. 'Miss Granger, there is something else you should be aware of. Professor Snape was rather... _opposed_ to the idea of informing you of this particular piece of information, but I remain firm in my belief that the knowledge will only be fair and benefit your safety.'

Managing to pull her gaze from Snape's rigid stance at last, Hermione was unaware of tears streaming down her face until she felt wet trails slide down her neck. Blurred eyes only vaguely registered the folded silhouette of Harry, practically crouching on the floor with his face hidden in his hands. Unable to mask a faint sigh that escaped her parted lips, she finally trained her attention upon the older witch.

For the first time since she could remember, Hermione saw her former Transfiguration Professor show clear agitation. Palms lying flat upon the desk, the witch pointedly refused to meet her questioning eyes. Even Snape, who looked like he had swallowed something inedible, stared with an unfocused glare into the space somewhere above her head.

An uneasy sensation trickled down her spine.

'Lord Voldemort released a sanction for your capture, Miss Granger. After a detailed review of the situation as a whole, the Ministry of Magic has decided to officially assign you a personal protector. Professor Snape shall be your very own bodyguard from tomorrow onward.'

Hermione then did something she had never deemed herself weak enough to succumb to.

She fainted.

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><p><strong>I am most certainly looking forward to your positive reviews! Feed the muse, delight the author! Hehe ;)<strong>


	4. Necessity

**A/N: This is a comparatively short chapter, but that doesn't make it any less important in the scheme of things! *enter evil cackle***

**I thank you for all of your lovely and structured reviews so far! All replies can be found at the end of the page ;)**

**Enjoy! x**

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><p><strong>Necessity<strong>

Floating in a desolate void, Hermione absentmindedly took note of an unfamiliar sense of detachment that she had never experienced before. Shrouded in blackness as she was, it was easy to think of nothing at all and simply exist in that strange world of thoughtless theory. From somewhere very far off sprang a dim notion that she should have been horrified by that discovery. Comfortably levitating at present in her personal vacuum, however, she didn't give a niffler's arse.

Nevertheless, that annoying nudging in her mind persistently kept on trying to tell her that something was off and it was definitely not the unfinished glass of milk she had left in her dormitory.

Dormitory... Gryffindor Common Room... books... essay... essay... homework. _Homework?_

That last thought hit Hermione's subconscious much fiercer than any forged sledgehammer ever could, and the blackness surrounding her mind began to sedately vaporize. Simultaneously fighting a rather unpleasant dizziness and nausea, the young witch stubbornly willed her eyes open. At first bleary glance, the elaborate ceiling above her was no different from any other at Hogwarts. There must have been an important reason why she was lying under that one in particular, though.

Without warning her mind at last snapped back into full gear. Her memory function quickly followed.

With annoying black dots dancing randomly in front of her, Hermione managed to lift herself up to a sitting position and dazedly look around herself. It seemed that she had been out of business for quite some time, if one regarded the fact that someone had been kind enough to exchange her undignified position on the floor for a more pristine location on the sofa. Absentmindedly rubbing her temples as her head continued to pound in protest, she inconspicuously regarded the Headmistress, who sat firmly back at her desk, scribbling down something hurriedly. Harry was standing rigidly to the side, his profile betraying nothing of his mood as he gazed unblinkingly into the darkness of the night now laying silently beyond the window in front of him.

Professor Snape was nowhere to be seen.

Hermione shifted cautiously upon her resting place, which unwittingly caught the attention of the room's occupants. Finding herself on the receiving end of two pairs of eyes emitting genuine concern, she instantly felt uncomfortable and embarrassed.

'I never faint,' argued she weakly, her cheeks burning rather hotter then usual.

With a sigh Professor McGonagall carefully set her eagle quill aside.

'There is no reason to be ashamed, Miss Granger. I am undoubtedly correct in the assumption that even a hard-seasoned Auror of the Ministry would have momentarily lost his or her touch with reality when faced with the fact that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is personally after them.' Another sigh. 'Therefore, we find ourselves in a bind concerning how we can possibly keep you as safe as possible. Merlin take it, last year was proof enough that Hogwarts alone is no longer the almighty sanctuary we all once thought it was.'

The Headmistress' stern eyes shined suspiciously bright for a moment or two before she quickly blinked whatever it was away.

The young witch could only nod resolutely, even as thought after thought battled for supremacy inside her head, an unknown number of questions quickly starting to pile up haphazardly upon each other. Unwilling – at least for the moment – to even start untangling the mess that was her rational path, Hermione latched onto the first and most prominent factor on the surface of it all.

'With all due respect, Professor, but how does Professor Snape fit into all of this with regard to me? Except for the obvious, of course.'

A deep frown creased the place above the older witch's spectacles.

'I am sure you have already got your more than able head around the fact that Professor Snape has always been on our side, setting aside his reasons behind all of his actions to date, which are his own and shall remain so. Let's just put it blandly and to the point: Professor Snape has abandoned his position as a spy and consequently revealed himself to be a traitor to You-Know-Who. Fortunately, he was able to find out the information about you right before he fled the ranks of the Death Eaters. The minute he did so, he unquestionably put his name on the death list right beside yours, Miss Granger. Hence, you need to be protected. And who is better for this job than a former Death Eater himself?'

_Oh yes_, Hermione thought sarcastically. _Who better to protect me than a dark wizard who needs even more safeguarding than me?_

Partially confused by the logic of it all, her thoughts must have been showing plainly on her face because the next moment the Headmistress hastily jumped into further explanations.

'You can rest assured that by day you shall not be put in the direct path of danger due to the simple fact of being constantly surrounded by a large number of people, as well as in constant sight of all professors. In spite of all that, however, I am obliged to inform you that your day-to-day life here at Hogwarts will have to take a significant turn towards safety precautions. As of now, Miss Granger, you are banned from exiting the school grounds, naturally cancelling your visits to Hogsmeade under any circumstances. If need arises for you to wander outside you shall always have to be accompanied by at least two off-duty staff members who have been notified beforehand. In between classes, you shall also be escorted by a professor from your previous class and so on. According to your status as a prefect, you are still entitled to your own dormitory without the need of sharing one with your fellow housemates. However, as a necessity, from tomorrow night on, you will not be residing in Gryffindor Tower at all.'

Hermione, whose face had lost its blush bit by bit with each unmercifully pronounced word, was left almost translucent by the end of Professor McGonagall's tirade. Rationality truthfully dictated that all of that was indeed a necessary consequence, but it did not stop the metaphorical walls from starting to close in around her. Figuratively speaking, she was already becoming a prisoner of war.

'What, am I to be moved underground as well, perhaps?' she blurted out. It was more of a rhetorical question, so she was instantly taken aback to see the Headmistress shifting slightly in her chair before actually responding.

'In actuality, you are correct,' declared the older witch, looking directly into her former pupil's eyes. 'After all, I did mention who is the best candidate of all for the role of your protector. By day, you will be watched over by all of Hogwarts whilst by night, you are to be safeguarded by only one. You are to lodge with Professor Snape in his dungeon quarters until the situation resolves itself.'

A strange sound escaped Hermione's throat, something that sounded suspiciously close to a squeak, as she unabashedly stared at the Hogwarts Headmistress, her most highly-valued mentor of all. Of all the possible answers the stern, even puritanical older woman could have given her, the calm response that she wished to see her most favourite student sleeping under the inky wing of a Death Eater, no matter how reformed, was not one of them.

The Headmistress, who was seemingly oblivious to the young witch's state, rambled on with all the finesse of the Hogwarts Express.

'The school's house-elves are still hard at work preparing your new living quarters. Therefore, they will be ready for you only tomorrow night. You shall be well provided for, presuming you are worried about that. And most importantly, safe.'

Silence descended upon the room. Except for the occasional rustle here and there from the numerous portraits hanging around them, nothing else could be heard for long moments. Hermione chanced a glance towards the window, only to see that her friend was back to staring into nothingness. Not one word of protest. Not even a gesture. Nothing.

'I see,' she murmured at last. In reality, she neither saw nor understood anything.

Her trail of confusion was momentarily halted by the rising figure of the Headmistress, who briskly walked up to stand in front of her. In a show of unusual tenderness, she gently grasped the shorter witch's shoulders and squeezed them in reassurance.

'Rest assured, Hermione, that Severus will shield you from harm's way to the best of his ability. I... _all_ of us wish for this mess to be over with as soon as possible. It has been a rather long and tumultuous first day of school for you. I have instructed Hagrid to escort you back to Gryffindor Tower; he is waiting for you just outside the office now. Best to bed, both of you.'

With a last squeeze, the professor resolutely straightened and returned to her unfinished parchment on the desk.

Feeling slightly dazed, Hermione started to head out. Harry, finally shaken out of his trance-like state by his friend's footsteps, quickly started to follow, only to end up almost barreling into her as she abruptly halted at the doors.

'Why _me_?'

Professor McGonagall, at whom the question had been directed, paused briefly in her rekindled writing.

The answer came from the most unexpected source.

'You are one of my best friends,' rasped Harry. She vaguely noted that he must have damaged his throat during his "silent" screaming after all. His tone, though, was as calm as she had ever heard it, with an almost placid quality to it.

'No, you are more than that... you are part of my family. Hurting you might come close to destroying me, and the bastard knows it.'

The witch chanced to glance into his eyes and was met with such a changing array of emotions that it almost made her head swim. No matter how calm Harry appeared on the outside, the wizard was definitely battling something furiously inside of him like never before. Knowing very well that her further questions would be met with no answers at all, nothing was left to her but to nod good night to the Headmistress and let one of her dearest friends guide her towards an expectant Hagrid.

In spite of all that had been shown and said, Hermione was unable to get rid of the worm of doubt deep inside her psyche that kept telling her that she had missed something vital.

Something so vital, as she was to learn later, that it would bring about a time that she would both treasure and endure until the very end.

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><p><strong>Review Replies:<strong>

**HPFanGirl01**: Thank you for such a compliment, my dear :) I sincerely hope that this tale won't lose your interest until the very end, then! )))

**no-name**: I really appreciate constructive reviews and critisms, and yours was no exception! As it is, I cannot with a conscious heart reveal all the answers to your questions, but rest assured that I _do_ have them all ))) The sole thing I can say so far is that Snape is no longer in a position to be a spy and there were no plans for him to continue being one either! As to how he shall stay close to Hermione at all times, I think this chapter provided you with an answer ;) And as for the rest... only time will tell! But there is a Mystery here as well, have no doubt *grins widely* Thank you for your review! x

**feelingcowgirlish**: hehe, I always loved giving presents and surprises, and my writing is no different, I guess *giggles* I do hope you have enjoyed this chappie as well! Thank you for your review ;) x

**Dopplegranger**: *munches happily on provided cookies and stumbles to speak through the crumbs in her mouth* Thank you, darling! Both your praise and your review put a real smile on my face as soon as I read it (and apparently a kilo or two to my weight! *snickers*) Then all things considered, I am most certainly looking forward to your upcoming review on this particular chapter! Hehehe... oh, and I love hot fudge as well, just in case *wink wink, nudge nudge* Next chapter to come soon, I promise! XD

**Kermit 304**: Thank you very much for your review, Kermit! It really means a lot that you are liking this story so far and decided to see it through ... therefore, I will try my best and keep you on your toes! *rubs hands in anticipation* )))

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><p><strong>5th Chapter coming very soon! And before that, I am looking forward to all of your lovely reviews, as always! To keep feeding the muse, so to speak *muahaha*<strong>


	5. Brand New Day

**A/N: Once again, this chapter is not overly long (especially by my latest standards!), but the information you shall find within is quite vital (once again) and may well answer some of your rising questions.**

**I also want to thank all of you who have favourited/alerted and especially reviewed this story so far! As always, all of the answers to the latest reviews of yours can be found at the end of this page ;)**

**Enjoy! x**

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><p><strong>Brand New Day<strong>

Before Hermione Granger's head had so much as touched the pillow she was already conscious of the fact that the present night would officially excel as the most restless one in her rather short but eventful life.

Wide awake, the young witch looked at the ceiling with blank, unseeing eyes, but not without a dash of irony. If she were to lose her guard, she could have soon found herself literally facing the upper interior surfaces of rooms on an hourly basis. Nevertheless, she stubbornly voted against any deep or meaningful session of self-analysis regarding her disgraceful fainting incident – or some gibberish like that. She had much more pressing matters to concentrate on.

Indeed, a certain someone was the sole thing that dominated her brainpower at that moment in time.

_Severus Snape_.

Hogwarts Professor, acclaimed Potions Master, exceptional teacher, with deep and profound intelligence. On the other hand, a seemingly neurotic dark wizard with an unhealthy obsession with the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, Death Eater, and self-confessed murderer. And in the middle of it all apparently stood another individual; a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, a man who secretly risked it all for those who did not even possess a clue as to who had been shielding them all that time.

Within that tousled ball of details and beliefs, which strand led to the individual beneath it all? What could possibly have the power to drive someone to spy under the very nose of Lord Voldemort for only Merlin knew how long? How momentous the whole picture of reality must truly have been for Professor Dumbledore to have willingly sacrificed himself in order to prevent its untimely disclosure?

Regrettably, not one of those questions, or any of the countless other ones in tow, gave way to satisfying answers. Every single corner hid countless theories and assumptions that were too bland to even start considering as viable possibilities. Tossing restlessly in tandem within the confinements of her head and bed, Hermione fought helplessly for some peace and quiet, but she only managed to obtain it at a much later hour, when the first shades of dawn were already reddening the landscape beyond her window.

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><p>Seated, as per usual, in front her two best friends at breakfast, the most Hermione could bring herself to do was to sluggishly pick at the food on her plate. Harry had barely shared a word with her since yesterday's events, and his whole countenance clearly showed that he was faraway in his own musings himself, absently helping himself to whatever lay closest to him whilst barely sparing a glance at what he was putting in his mouth. Ron, on the other hand, had not touched anything at all, which was worrying enough on its own. A brief glance in his direction revealed his tall figure hunched unapproachably over an empty space in front of him. The news that his two friends had shared with him merely an hour ago had undoubtedly had a lasting effect upon him as well.<p>

For all that, they had not yet had time to disclose the rest of the "plan" to him. The young witch inwardly winced at what could possibly take place once Ron found out about her prolonged sleeping arrangements.

Thus began a brand new day.

As soon as the first class of the day had come to an end, Hermione purposely drew out packing all of her Arithmancy material together until the very last student had exited the classroom. Even so, none would have been surprised to see Hermione Granger staying behind. Probably wishing to ask if she could write seven feet of parchment instead of three.

With unneeded force, Hermione threw the rest of her books into her rucksack. Straightening, she saw Professor Vector waiting patiently to the side, a gentle smile on her face.

'Shall we proceed, Miss Granger?' she politely inquired.

The witch in question could only nod her head in the affirmative. That being so, the two of them began their journey down the corridor towards Hermione's next lesson. A few students still lingered in the hallways as they too made their way to their own lessons, but, yet again, barely anyone gave a curious glance towards the two of them. Only a small pack of passing first years lingered, their inquisitive and wide-open eyes upon the older student walking beside a member of the staff.

'That's Hermione Granger,' came a distinctive murmur from one of the girls within the group just as they shuffled past. 'Her best friend is none other then Harry Potter himself!' Appreciative oohs and ahs followed the comment.

Hermione's mood instantly turned sour.

The rest of the day adopted a more or less mechanical quality after that. One professor after another took their place in chaperoning her around the halls of Hogwarts, right up to the point where she felt close to being sick to her stomach by the same polite smiles on each of their faces that vainly tried to mask the looks of pity underneath. She was utterly exhausted by the stupidity of it all. Of all the things and people to look out for, she certainly shouldn't have been on the top of that list. The sole thing they had all managed to achieve today was to bring out the first-class banshee in her.

For that reason, it was no surprise that Hermione observed the grand event of the evening's dinner with a sort of perverse satisfaction.

'May I have your attention, please?'

Even though food still remained on most of the tables around the Great Hall, the conversations gradually dwindled to occasional whispers as the Headmistress rose up from her chair on the dais. A certain number of baffled mumbles still rose here and there within the sea of students as everyone, with the exception of a certain trio, wore more or less quizzical expressions. Announcements were usually always made before food was served.

'As you are aware, two days ago we all witnessed the most unexpected return of Severus Snape, the same fugitive for whose whereabouts the Ministry of Magic was offering a bountiful reward. The majority of you, with the obvious exception of the first year, might well remember under what tragic circumstances our previous school year came to an end.'

Professor McGonagall's voice quivered for a second before she got a visible hold on herself and continued in a stronger voice.

'Professor Albus Dumbledore was considered by many to be the greatest wizard of our time, due to his many achievements as a wizard. However, I truly believe that it is his accomplishments as a person that made him worthy of our respect and love. Regrettably, those same qualities consequently put him in the path of the darkest wizard of modern times. All came to an end when Lord Voldemort ordered one of his most trusted servants to terminate the life of the wizard whose power he feared above anyone else's. Albus Dumbledore was brutally cornered at his weakest moment and murdered on the grounds of this very school.'

For a moment she simply observed the hundreds of eyes trained on her, the faces that latched keenly onto every word that rang clearly in the vast hall.

'However, I do not stand here in front of you today to recite what has already been said countless times before. My announcement tonight comes as a direct order from the Ministry and is a clear message to the population of Hogwarts of certain facts that the rest of the wizarding world shall find out in tomorrow's papers. After a thorough investigation, the Ministry has deduced that the notorious murderer of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is none other than the infamous Death Eater Rodolphus Lestrange. Owing to the unfounded accusations towards Severus Snape, the Minister is issuing a personal apology as well as an official pardon that lifts all charges filed against him.'

The silence that followed was so profound that it was virtually deafening. For her part, Hermione met the proclamation with calm comprehension. She had been expecting something along those lines, after all. If a criminal needed to be protected, one had to find someone who deserved to be put in his stead. No matter what the Ministry occasionally portrayed, it seemed that it wasn't all filled to the brink with imbeciles. Thank Merlin for small favours.

As the surprise still held everyone immobile, movement down the Gryffindor table caught Hermione's eye. A few seats away from Harry sat Neville Longbottom, who, for all intents and purposes, looked like he had swallowed an extra-large portion of gillyweed without any possibility of finding water in which to breathe. A greenish tinge spread across where his gills would have popped out, and his eyes already had a watery quality to them. Hermione felt a twinge of utmost sympathy for her poor classmate, who by all appearances, had just discovered that the same man who tortured his parents to insanity was also the murderer of Professor Dumbledore.

Then, the Headmistress of Hogwarts decided to plant the last proverbial dung bomb upon everyone's head.

'All those things considered, I am, therefore, delighted to announce that, as of tomorrow, Severus Snape will be reinstated as a staff member of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the newly appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. That will be all. You are free to go as soon as dinner ends. Have a good night.'

Momentarily distracted herself by this unanticipated turn of events, the young witch belatedly heard a distinct heavy thump somewhere down the table. Indeed, it looked as though Neville's previous response had been brought about, not with the news of Lestrange, but of another Death Eater. The seat, which had been occupied mere seconds ago, was now clearly vacant as the plump body of its previous owner decided to take an unplanned visit to the floor beneath it.

Poor Neville did not take the news of Professor Snape's return too well.

Furthermore, he was far from the only one.

Mutters and exclamations of various volumes and contexts broke out almost instantly along the long tables of the hall. Only one out of four remained abnormally silent. Only now, much to Hermione's incredulity, did it register with her how empty the Slytherin table appeared to be. At best, thirty-odd students were scattered along the seats, and every last one of them either stared into their plates or silently observed the general commotion around them. It wasn't hard to guess who in particular had decided to pull their children so hastily out of Hogwarts within the space of the last two days.

That action broadcasted a clear message; for some reason, the rest of the Death Eaters were cautious of Severus Snape... or at least something closely connected to him.

A short time later, as Hermione lingered at the table and the rest of the Gryffindor seniors were starting to make their own way towards their dormitories, she managed to catch Harry's eye as he too stood up. Without needing to be reminded, he turned around to firmly clutch Ron's shoulder.

'Come on, Ron. Let's help old Neville here up to the Common Room. It's nothing a regular Pepper-up Potion can't fix!' he exclaimed rather too jovially, but Ron, even as informed as he was, appeared to be slightly shell-shocked by the dinner's events. Therefore, he calmly let his best jet-black-haired friend herd him towards their housemate, who was at last starting to show vital signs through irregular moans.

As her two close friends unsteadily walked out of the Great Hall, half-supporting a shaking Neville between them, Hermione felt like the last coward. She found herself unable to tell Ron the whole truth of what "extras" her protection entailed whilst she could, and here she sat with a clear notion that all of her clothes and personal belongings were already somewhere down in the dungeons. After tomorrow morning, she would be unable to deny the obvious, however. Once Ron shook away the present shock, he would instantly know that something even more fishy was going on.

Professor McGonagall seemed to materialize out of nowhere on Hermione's right with an expectant tilt to her head.

'Miss Granger, if you are quite finished staring at the doors, do follow me. Your new quarters await you.'

_And a new life_, Hermione inwardly mused.

That somewhat silly notion, however, did not stop the young witch from nervously wringing her hands all the way to the dungeons.

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><p><strong>And I hereby end this little cliffy of mine with one last comment: <em>muahahaha! :P<em>**

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><p><strong>Review replies:<strong>

**worrywart**: Hehe *rubs hands in glee* Well, I am quite please to have been able to hook you to this story, then! To tell you the truth, I do not really like the beginning of this story either... each time I re-read it, it feels like something vital is missing *sighs in frustration* However, I guess I could contribute the fact that the first two chapters were the first ones I have ever written as an author, and then (years later) I decided to take them and continue a story out of them. Oh well... perhaps one day I will have the guts to come back and rewrite them. But I do hope you will give the rest of this story a go! Thank you for our review ;) x

**slytherinchick123**: Oh yes, dear old Voldie is certainly still alive and kicking here! *snickers* And Hermione will most certainly face quite a lot in the upcoming future... which includes our Seevrus, of course! Hehe! I'm very happy to hear that you are enjoying this so far and I hope this chapter was not disappointing either ;) Thank you! )))

**liidg**: You probably couldn't have said anything else that would have made me grin wider then I already am **:D** Thank you for reviewing again, I really, really appreciate it ;) x

**Kermit 304**: Thank you very much for such heartfelt words, Kermit! *fight back a blush* I am an avid fan of mystery and suspense myself, and lately have been trying to introduce it into my own works myself... even though the presence and the nature of the actual mystery may not be glaringly obvious at first *wink wink, nudge nudge* Hehe. All I can say is that Severus had not planned all of that to get to Hermione, unfortunately! Sorry :( For now, they share nothing but common frustration in the situation they have suddenly found themselves in... but that would of course change in time ;) And have no fear, Hermione will not lose her fire any time soon! I enjoyed hearing from you and hope to read your opinion on the latest chapter soon ;) x

**LadyNorth77**: Hope that the speed and quality of my update did not disappoint! :) Thank you! x

**HPFanGirl01**: I sincerely apologize for yet another short chapter *hangs head* However, I do hope you have found it interesting nonetheless! And I can also give you my word that from now on the chapters will be increasing in length... with a minimum amount of 3,100 words I think ;) Thank you for your reviews, they really mean a lot! XD


	6. Face–off

**A/N: So far, I have to say that this chapter is my favourite one! Why? Well, first of all, we finally get to have a peak into Severus' head... and some highly anticipated interaction between the two main characters is coming up! Anyway, I shall not reveal any more! *zips her big mouth shut***

**Read and enjoy!**

**As always, my sincerest thanks go to my amazing beta Liongirl11! *smooches her to death***

**All of the latest review replies could be found at the end of the page!**

**Ms Velvela XD**

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><p><strong>Face-off<strong>

The timid cracking of burning logs casually pierced the otherwise silent chamber. Dancing tongues of flame just barely managed to extend their soft glow meekly towards the grand armchair facing them. Even so, no matter how strong the fire appeared to burn at times, neither the light nor the warmth seemed to be willing to graze the dark figure sitting in the chair's depths. With nonchalant elegance, a pale hand snaked out of the shadows towards a crystal tumbler on top of a side table. As the glass was slowly brought up, its contents managed to catch the firelight, causing the amber liquid within to momentarily illuminate the face above it.

Even after taking a rather deep sip of the ten-year-old firewhisky, Severus Snape felt his mouth twist into a sneer.

_Morgana's tits be praised, is that what it has all come to?_

It felt surreal to be back within those walls. He remembered all too well how he departed this very same place mere months ago with the clear assurance that even if he were to return to Hogwarts in the near future – one never put it past the Dark Lord to come up with an ingeniously psychotic strategy – it would have been done most probably in the guise of someone else. Never again as a Potions Master, a professor all those dunderheads hated but also feared above all others. _Well_, mused Severus with a dark humour, _at least second after the Dark Lord himself._

And then...then that _thing_ happened. Shock had long worn off since that decisive day, but he had worked too long and vigorously in his _secondary_ profession to fail in remembering every last detail of what transpired. Even sitting as he was now, to all intents and purposes uncaring of what his brand new position entailed, he was very aware of the escalation of the weight he was now carrying on his shoulders.

Would it ever end?

_Yes_, hissed his consciousness. _One way or another it will. Very soon._

Nonetheless, one matter grated torturously upon his person. Long fingers squeezed involuntarily around the old-fashioned glass as the wizard's thoughts strayed towards the Ministry of Magic. Halfwits, the lot of them. It was simply a miracle that all those dipsticks between them had managed to pull off a coup of such magnitude for his meager self. He had even felt obliged, for a short time, to allow himself a moment of doubt concerning the extent of their thought power. His momentary lapse in sanity, however, was quickly put to rest the second their next plan of action had oh-so-graciously been shared with him. Incidentally, it had also placed him in the direct line of fire.

Only a team of pea-brained officials could come up with the creative idea of assigning one Severus Snape to not only personally watch over the resident show-off but to actually live with her. A student! The fact that McGonagall had actually encouraged the notion baffled him to no end. Perhaps that old tabby cat was already losing her touch without realizing it as of yet. Severus couldn't honestly admit he felt any pity for her in that case.

He just hoped the Granger chit stayed out of his way as much as the situation allowed.

Had it not crossed anyone's mind that his only wish for so long had been to be finally left alone, pure and simple?

At that precise moment, a demanding knock sounded against the door.

_Oh yes, but beggars can't be choosers, can they?_

Briskly downing the rest of his drink, Severus assertively rose from his place in front of the fireplace. Sneer comfortably back in place, the ex-Death Eater had no other choice but to walk towards the doors and come face-to-face with his new...flatmate. Argh.

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><p>Hermione hazarded a doubtful look at the woman beside her.<p>

'Do not take this the wrong way, Professor, but do you still stay firm on this...sleeping arrangement?'

The Hogwarts Headmistress merely graced her with a pointed look and, without any further delay, raised her fist. The heavy knock resonated loudly along the darkened corridor of the dungeons. The young witch involuntary gulped as the sound reverberated a path down her spine in turn.

_Guess that's a "yes", then._

The two witches stood completely still, subconsciously keeping their ears open for any sound beyond the closed door. When no shuffle of footsteps could be heard after agonizing seconds of wait, Hermione was all set to think that at least someone had come to his senses. She was proved wrong, however, when the heavy door creaked open all of a sudden, revealing the profound darkness of the chamber beyond.

From within that blackness peeked the face of Professor Snape in all of its sneering glory. Black eyes coldly traveled across the length of Professor McGonagall's tartan robes before pinning Hermione in place with a clear expression of distaste twisting the corners of his mouth. Refusing to back down now, the young witch felt her back stiffen in response, just as she willfully met the dark wizard's eyes. The two of them mutely scrutinized each other for some time before Snape's eyes at long last snapped back towards the elderly witch. If it was possible, his sneer appeared to be even more profound than before.

'Headmistress,' he drawled in greeting.

The older woman nodded civilly in return.

'Severus.'

Silence briefly settled around the mismatched trio.

'Well. I had best be going,' said Professor McGonagall crisply. 'Do inform me if you think of anything else that might ease your comfort during your stay here. Professor Snape shall escort you promptly to the Great Hall for breakfast and back here after dinner. Good night, Miss Granger, Severus.'

With those words the Headmistress promptly whirled around and walked back the way she had come, leaving Hermione to stare mournfully after her retreating figure. Only when her mentor disappeared round one of the corridor's dank corners did the young witch become aware once again of the other presence in front of her. The individual in question was sharply examining her face whilst his dark, empty eyes betrayed none of his thoughts whatsoever.

Catching her stubborn gaze once more, Snape acknowledged her with another curl of his lip for good measure before aggressively throwing the door wide open.

Feeling more cautious than ever, Hermione carefully strolled into the space provided. She just managed to clear the threshold with a minimum distance before the door was unceremoniously shut behind her. Involuntarily shutting her eyes in attempt to control her thudding heart, the next moment she determinedly opened them up again. Whether she wished it or not, she found herself in a situation where most of the control appeared to have been seized from her. As things stood, she would be damned before even contemplating giving up her conscious mind as well. She very much doubted that Professor Snape had volunteered his services as a babysitter in turn. Looking at it from a neutral point of view, the best action was to deal with it with as much decorum as possible.

Satisfied with that plausible plan of action, the young witch allowed herself to examine the chamber around her.

Taking everything into account, she was pleasantly surprised.

Though sparsely furnished, the lounge contained all the essentials. The most prominent feature was the grand fireplace on the other side of the room, in which the last remnants of fire were slowly fading. A number of simple wax candles glowing along the perimeter of the chamber made it almost (dare she say it) cozy.

All further thoughts regarding the room soared out of her mind with an almost audible _whoosh_ as her eyes fell upon the wall on her right. More specifically, upon the monumental bookcase that stretched tantalizingly across its length. Numerous shelves were filled to the brim from floor to ceiling with heaps of tomes. A thrilling shiver traveled down her spine at the mere possibility of what that particular collection might hold.

'Do not even _think_ about it.'

Thrown out of her momentary trance, Hermione turned around in confusion.

Still standing by the closed door, Professor Snape had his black-clad arms crossed tightly across his chest as he regarded her with cool eyes.

'You are not to touch anything of mine, Miss Granger. Under any circumstances. If I find that you have specifically gone against my orders, there will be...repercussions. Am I clear enough?'

The young witch's cheeks were starting to feel rather hot as righteous indignation assailed her senses. She had just been looking at them, for Merlin's sake. If that particular verbal attack of his was any indication, the coming months of their enforced camaraderie would be no walk in the park.

In the Forbidden Forest – more like it.

_Decorum, Hermione. Think about decorum._

'Miss Granger, am I clear?' he repeated.

'Crystal, sir.'

Her adequate response, however, appeared to have strayed too close to antagonism for Professor Snape's liking. For a moment, she fully expected him to gleefully seize an opportunity to deduct a sizeable amount of House points from Gryffindor. In fact, his mouth was already open, but the next minute he appeared to change his mind and snapped it shut. His visage adopted a particularly sour pinch to it, but astonishingly, no point subtraction took place.

'Follow me!' he barked instead, whirling with a billow of his cloak.

Hermione exhaled deeply, just becoming aware that she had been holding her breath in the first place. Making a quick mental notation to keep an eye out for any further uncharacteristic slip-ups that might creep up in the near future, the witch followed the professor through a narrow passageway. The floor had a distinct descent to it, and the surrounding stone walls, with their recurring lanterns, gave a certain archaic feel to the place. In any case, the corridor's meager illumination almost made her collide with the wizard's back as he came to an abrupt stop in front of a doorway.

Momentary unsettled by her sudden proximity to Professor Snape, Hermione took a reflexive step backwards. Just in case.

'This,' he said, indicating the wooden door, 'is the entry to your quarters. A bathroom is linked to your bedroom from within. You are not to use the one down this corridor under any circumstances. It is mine. Be ready at eight in the morning. Do. Not. Be. Late.'

Without waiting for a reply, he turned away and vanished around the corridor's next corner, where his own rooms were most probably located.

With a soft huff and turn of the doorknob, Hermione crossed the threshold of her quarters.

Barely registering the details of her new accommodations, the young woman was quite suddenly overcome by the sensation of peace. At last finding herself alone with no other soul in sight, she realised how absolutely exhausted she was by all that smothering care. No more random trips to the library or leisurely reposes upon the familiar squashy armchair in the Gryffindor common room. Barely two days had passed since the proclamation of her sentence, and she already felt lost. The awareness of no longer fully belonging to something seemed to solidify with every passing hour.

When would it end?

* * *

><p>It took Ron a grand total of ten days to work out that one of his best friends no longer resided under the same "roof" as him.<p>

Granted, no one within her House had remarked upon the fact that within the past two weeks, Hermione Granger had been spotted no more than a handful of times in the vicinity of the common room. Having no particular bond of friendship with all of her classmates, she could hardly blame the seventh-year Gryffindors for failing to raise an alarm. Harry, on the other hand, looked as though he delved deeper into his own thoughts with every passing day. Nowadays, he was spotted more often than not either staring blankly into space or with a frown prominently gracing his features. Any inquires on her part were met with instantly dumbfounded eyes and honest reassurance that all was alright in his world. Ginny gave the impression of being the only one who had an inkling that something was off, if her inquisitive glances were any indication. The younger girl, however, was either unwilling or hesitant to confront her head-on.

And Ron...well, she genuinely did not know what to think about him anymore.

The next morning after her relocation to the dungeons, she plumped herself on the bench with an uneasy heart. From the second Harry and Ron joined her in the Great Hall, she braced herself for the inevitable interrogation that was to come. Nevertheless, half an hour into breakfast and the time for their first class rapidly approaching, not one single question was raised. The rest of the day yielded the same result, as well as the day after that. On the fifth, Hermione finally became aware of the problem.

Ronald Weasley simply did not notice her presence, or _absence_ as it were.

It was during breakfast on the fourteenth day after the start of term when everything came to a crashing halt.

The student body were busy inhaling the rare treat of morning pancakes with a wide range of syrups and jams spread bountifully around them. For his part, Ron looked like he was attempting to use them to clog up a black hole, which must have made an appearance sometime during the night, somewhere in the vicinity of his stomach.

Chewing vigorously on what might have been his twenty-fifth pancake, the ginger-haired wizard mumbled: 'Mione, help me with the Charms assignment tonight. I've failed to catch you in the common room in the past two days before you've run off to your room. Seriously, if you only moved as fast on a broom, you would have made a first-class Chaser!'

Hermione, who was in the process of picking half-heartedly at her food, went rigid.

'I won't be able to help you,_ Ronald_,' she forced out.

Her friend finally stopped chewing, throwing her an aghast look.

'Why not?'

'Because I do not live in Gryffindor Tower anymore, for Merlin's sake! And haven't for the past ten days!' she finally announced.

The long-awaited admission had Ron Weasley's lower jaw going slack, which put the half-chewed contents of his mouth on full, gory display. Before he had a chance to so much as groan, Hermione resolutely steeled her backbone and spilled the beans. Severus Snape, the dungeons and sleeping arrangements, in one neat little package. By the time she finished, the witch was visibly winded and as of yet unsure whether to feel relieved or vigilant.

It did not take long for Ron to come up with an appropriate response. That is, after he knocked back practically half the pitcher of pumpkin juice in an attempt to put an end to his choking.

'_What?_' he croaked loudly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione spied Harry giving a swish of his wand with a whispered _Muffliato_. It was nice to know that at least some of them were in possession of little grey cells.

'How could you do it?' the freckled wizard's tone held enough unfounded accusation to raise Hermione's boiling ire to the brink of her own cauldron.

'For the sake of all that's magical, Ron! I had no choice in the matter. The Headmistress made it clear that the situation was out of my hands,' she hissed back.

'Everyone has a choice! What I do not understand is why that slimy git has to look out for you in the first place! He can slither back into whatever miserable, dank hole he came from in the first place, for all I care!'

Hermione was not the only one listening incredulously to the venom coating the young man's words. For his part, Harry looked positively appalled.

Their friend, however, was not yet finished.

'Why you, 'Mione? What the hell is so special about you that You-Know-Who decided to grace you with his personal attention anyway?'

It did not matter that the rational side of her mind was telling her that Ron was too overwhelmed to think reasonably. The witch's composure had gradually been losing its solid ground over the past few days, and it finally located the outlet for its indignation.

'You know, sometimes I ponder whether it is your brain that experiences regular malfunctions or if it is your ears that become deaf to all sounds around you, with the exception of your own voice,' she whispered fiercely. 'Whatever sensibility of Voldemort's I have offended, I will not give that blasted snake leverage over Harry!'

Weasley's expeditiously reddening face clashed horribly with his mop of hair.

'And for those with flobberworm memories,' continued Hermione in a dangerously hashed manner, 'I kindly remind them to never address me by that nickname _again_!'

'If you are so ecstatic to be living with that greasy slimeball, please do continue doing so. I just hope that when you end up all bruised and hurt, you have the guts to tell me that I was right from the very start and you should have asked for my opinion first!'

And thus fell the feather that broke the Thestral's back.

Hermione Granger was all of a sudden on her feet, both of her hands slapping painfully against the surface of the table.

'How _dare_ you? Who in hell do you think you are talking to me in such a manner? My mother? Father? _Boyfriend?_ You are supposed to be my friend, confidante, supporter! However, all I see before me is an insensitive arse who thinks only about his own comfort! Has it even entered your dimwitted head to wonder how I felt about all of this? You, Ron, are doing nothing else but hiding behind the proverbial skirts of your own insecurities. _You_ are nothing but a _coward!_'

With that, the witch snatched up her rucksack and practically ran out of the Great Hall. Dozens of curious eyes followed her, wondering, but unable to work out what had just transpired between the infamous Golden Trio.

The moment Hermione cleared the threshold of the hall, she threw herself against the nearest wall. Escape was futile. She knew that in a bit she would be accosted by a member of the staff, who was undoubtedly hot on her heels from the hall and unwilling to leave her alone in peace. So she simply stood in place and waited for the inevitable. In spite of that, her body was still shaking in resentment as she pressed her pounding head against the stone. All she could think of now was that somewhere along the way, her life had resolved to take a sharp turn from predictability.

What was more, one did not have to be a Seer to be conscious of one fact: whatever forked path lay ahead, she was in for one hell of a bumpy ride.

* * *

><p><strong>*twiddled her thumbs in anticipation* Any thoughts? Constructive criticism? Next chapter coming soon! Feed the muse! (hehe)<strong>

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**liidg**: You are fast becoming my most active reviewer! Great to know that you are still on the hook, then! *winks* Thank you! Hope you are still on for the ride ;) x

**slytherinchick123**: I do feel sorry for poor Neville as well... but that factor still doesn't keep me from shielding him from moments like those. It's just too hilarious an opportunity to pass up (hehe) And I do think that Hermione will find something of interest while sharing her quarters with a certain DADA Professor! But not too soon, mind you! *whistles innocently* Concerning the Prophet article, I have decided not to quote it directly on here... at least, not yet! And Draco... oh yes, _Draco_! Well, I truly cannot say anything yet! His abcence/presence will play a secondary but nonetheless important role to the mystery of this story's plot! Intrigued you any further yet? *cackles in glee* Thank you for your reviews, they are really encouraging! x :D

**LadyNorth76**: Ah, it's great to know that you are still on for the ride then! Have I managed to satisfy at least a portion of your thirst for some Hermione/Severus interaction with this chapter, I hope? *smiles hopefully* A full-on-body interaction will not happen yet for obvious reasons... but I will make sure the prelude to it will be as enjoyable and anticipatory as possible *wink wink* Thank you for reviewing! x

**LadySeverusSnape1105**: I am delighted that I have managed to intrigue you! Concerning your points of confusion, I am more then happy to clear them out for you (at least, as far as this story's plot goes - hehe)

1) Yes, it could be proven by Harry... but he doesn't do it. Why? Ah... can't tell you yet! *cackles in glee*

2) There is certainly a very important explanation for why I have decided to put Rodolphus's name instead of all others... but again, I cannot reveal everything in fear of revealing some important points of the plot prematurely... but it involves Polyjuice potion! *on top of zipping it, sews her lips shut just in case* (oh, and your spelling of Amycus is correct! hehe)

Hope that cleared out the fact that everything has its explanation, even though what I have given you might still cause some confusion! But all shall be revealed in time... promise! ;) Thank you for your lovely review and I hope to read more in the near future! x

**arabellagrace**: I am happy that you are enjoying this story as well, arabella! You are making me a very, very happy person right now! *grins foolishly in utter happiness* Thank you very much for your reviews! :)

**Kermit 304**: Every time your name comes up in my review-alert e-mail, it puts a really humongous smile on my face! Your constructive reviews are a joy to read and your last one was of no exception! Oh yes, rest assured that dear-old Snape has not revealed the entire truth to anyone... and us least of all! (well, not me... I'm his personal confidante, you see! *puffs up in pride*) And as for the rest of your review... especially certain points of it... *glances around herself in fright* Alright, where have you hidden the secret cameras? Or are you reading my mind? *screams and runs out of the room in panic* You will really enjoy this story, I think... but I will still keep you in suspense even if it kills me! Bwahahaha! ;) Thank you as always, Kermit! x

**no-name**: No worries! I am more then happy to clear at least a part of your lingering confusion: in danger of yet again revealing too much, all I can say now is that at the time of his entrance, Snape was disoriented... but his situation was such, that it was paramount in his mind that the more people saw his arrival, the better. Hope that lifts at least some of your confusion, even though I'm sure not everything is as crystal clear as it might be. I'm just such a sucker of mystery, can't help myself! :) But I do hope you are enjoying this! Ms Velvela XD


	7. Words of Inadequacy

**A/N: All of your amazing responses prompted me to update this story a bit faster then usual... And I won't even beg too much for a reward *gives a puppy-eyed look***

**Once again, special praise goes to my one and only beta (or should I say Alpha and a grammar genius?) Liongirl11! And last, but not least, to everyone who put this story on their favourite/alert list, as well as the special five ones who reviewed (you can view the answers to them at the end of the page!).**

**Have a wonderful read!**

**Ms Velvela XD**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Words of Inadequacy<span>**

'... an example of which is seen on page three hundred forty-seven of your books – if one deigns to actually open them, Mr. _Finnigan_. Ten points from Gryffindor for lack of diligence! Or perhaps you already possess the skill and knowledge to destroy an Inferius single-handedly? If so, I could possibly be amiable enough to grant you a public demonstration of your _prowess_.'

Seamus, looking rather pale, shook his head in vehement denial while his fingers frantically leafed through his tattered copy of _Advanced Defense Against the Eerie and Unknown_. Upon locating the requested page, the sandy-haired youth slumped dejectedly over his workspace, his eyes wary. The rest of the class found themselves facing more or less the same dilemma. Every last student – the two remaining Slytherins included – remained silent and tight-lipped, unwilling to become either victims of further point subtraction or targets of unjustifiable verbal lashing.

_It would take more than the public clemency of one's sins to sweeten that character_, mused Hermione, covertly observing the wizard in question.

As expected, the dour professor remained true to his reputation, even in the most dire of situations. Looking presently upon his scowling, unyielding expression, one could never have guessed that the man had come uncomfortably close to receiving not only life imprisonment in Azkaban but also the Dementor's Kiss itself. Even after all he went through, the wizard's disposition remained as sour as it had ever been. His remarks cut mercilessly deep, his patience nonexistent.

Overall, Severus Snape conducted his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes with the same iron fortitude as he did the previous year. And even though Hermione would have never confessed it, even at wand-point, the student within her was indisputably entranced. There was always a certain method to Snape's teachings, an urgency that coerced her into drinking the knowledge provided at whatever cost and quantity possible. Whilst it made her pulse quicken for academic possibilities, it also made her heart flutter for other reasons altogether.

Judging by the rising unrest of the previous years – months, even – the time for the inevitable confrontation was quickly approaching. With that thought in mind, Hermione was rapidly developing a theory concerning Professor Snape as she continued to both scrutinize and listen to him. It seemed like he was preparing the lot of them for the looming conflict the only way he knew how; by teaching. The saddest thing of all was that the majority of the students did not even know what that knowledge was for as they half-heartedly took notes of what was being shoved into their heads. Only a handful of them might have been developing suspicions. All Hermione could hope for was that all that information would prove enough in the days to come.

Uneasy, Hermione sent out another furtive glance, this time directly to her right. If truth be told, she had begun to feel rather nervous the moment the word Inferi was whispered in their professor's silky tones at the start of the lesson. Being who she was and what her friendship and support meant to Harry, she had been very much informed of what had happened in that secret, blasted cave to Dumbledore and him. And so, she was aware of the fact that no matter how tough her friend might sound or how many times he retold the story in gory detail, that particular memory had become his own personal catalyst. The unexpected subject of the morning's lesson was sure to bring up an array of vibrant flashbacks – and none of them pleasant.

Throughout the lesson, Harry Potter continued to remain silent. If not for his close proximity to her in the limited workspace, Hermione would have thought nothing of his demeanor. And as it was, she quickly caught on to the unnatural stillness of his body against her side, tension vibrating in practically detectable waves.

Giving her friend one last worried look, Hermione forced herself to concentrate on the present. The mesmerizing undertones of their lecturer had no trouble pulling her back into the lesson, her quill scribbling furiously.

'The destruction of an Inferius can be achieved only one way: through the death of its maker. Until such a time _graciously_ presents itself, the creature can only be driven away by its main opposing element: fire. And before any of you dunderheads come up with the ingenious idea of using a slicing hex on –'

'That's wrong.'

All hushed noise within the darkened chamber ceased abruptly. Quills suspended, everyone's attention quickly focused upon the lunatic who dared to interrupt Snape in mid-sentence.

'Come again, Mr. Potter?' drawled the lank-haired wizard, his voice deceptively silky.

'I said that's wrong, sir. Your reasoning suggests that the Inferi come from the water element, even though they should have an earth background...being corpses and all.'

Snape's sneer was more profound than ever. 'As infuriatingly self-important as always, I see. So eager to jump to groundless conclusions. Twenty points from Gryffindor for giving a wrong assumption. Do you have anything else to add, Mr. Potter?'

Hermione felt another ripple of uneasiness. Harry was an extremely impulsive individual, his brash ideas often leading him to act first and then think later once everything was over and done with. Barely breathing, his body remained stone-still, his face frozen in stubborn resolve. It was quite obvious that he wished to say something else and Hermione quickly covered his palm with hers.

'Harry, please...drop it.'

Even though he made no movement to remove her hand, she might as well have been mute and invisible. He acted as though she had not spoken at all.

'Not really. Perhaps you should just make the basis of your analysis more clear to avoid any further misunderstandings, _sir_,' he calmly stated.

A barely registered collection of muted groans filled the air around them as his fellow housemates waited for the inevitable. Hermione, still holding onto Harry's hand, almost winced at the number of points Gryffindor was about to lose in the next few seconds.

Severus Snape's black eyes clashed with the green ones belonging to Harry Potter. The two of them remained staring at each other for what seemed like a prolonged amount of time before the dark-robed wizard spoke again – his voice so low it was uncharacteristically close to a growl.

'Detention, Potter. For one week. I expect you to be in my office at seven pm sharp tonight or _you will regret it_.'

The suffocating tension was suddenly broken by a booming bell signaling the end of class. Everyone jumped as one, attempting to vacate the room as quickly as possible. Thoroughly confused and frustrated, Hermione noticed neither Ron's hasty retreat from the seat on Harry's other side nor Snape's presence beside his desk, irritably waiting to escort her to the next lesson. Her awareness was presently focused on one person alone.

'Harry, what is wrong with you?' she demanded.

The young man in question did not even lift his head, seemingly busy stacking his books on top of each other. His eyes momentarily flicked to the front of the classroom before focusing back on his task.

'Nothing, really. Just tired, I guess,' he mumbled.

'Tired? Are you actually being serious? Listen, I know that – ' she started to say, but the next second she was interrupted.

'Well... I...I mean...I haven't done our Charms essay.'

'_What?_ Harry! What's your excuse? It's our next lesson! Just because _I_ am unable to...'

Scandalized to the very marrow of her academic bone structure, Hermione threw herself into a passionate lecture about responsibility and the importance of time management. Thoroughly distracted, the young witch was only semi-aware of Snape escorting the two of them along the school corridors. She wasn't fully conscious of Harry's return to silence either.

And, most importantly, she no longer had any recollection whatsoever of the questions that had been ailing her mind only moments before.

* * *

><p>At eight-thirty on a quiet Saturday evening, Hermione was in the same place she usually found herself every other day of the week. Reclining upon the aged – and thus very comfortable – sofa, the young witch clutched a book in her right hand at the required angle so that the dancing gleams of the fireplace illuminated the text for her perusal. Nevertheless, no matter how intriguing the written word certainly was normally, concentration was eluding her. When she had read the same page thrice and still failed to be able to surmise a single conclusion from it, she let her arm drop and huffed out in sheer annoyance.<p>

If she was totally honest with herself, the adaptation to her new living environment was progressing in a much less extreme manner than she had first expected it to. By throwing herself into her studies in more or less the same manner ostriches were rumored to plunge their heads into sand, Hermione had surrounded herself with a false sense of safety and distraction. As long as her over-zealous mind kept working on one academic puzzle or another, she barely noticed the confinements of her cage. What was more, even her presence in the dungeon quarters had acquired a natural feel to it. She could go so far as to note that she felt comfortable there. Nevertheless, that last part could well be attributed to the fact that their rightful owner and she tended to avoid each other's presence as often as possible once safe within the warded surroundings. The DADA professor kept mostly to his own chambers and seemed to have no inclination to hover outside them unless it was absolutely necessary. Hermione's own actions did not differ by much.

In fact, it was only the sixth time she had allowed herself the luxury of relaxing in the living room. Unused to being stuck in one chamber alone for a prolonged period of time, the much larger "communal" area, with a fireplace and the floating essence of old books, was hard to resist. Therefore, the frustrated witch snatched the chance for solitude as soon as it presented itself. She still could not decide whether she should be guilty that it coincided with Harry's detention, which obviously had to be supervised personally by Professor Snape.

Hermione's brow wrinkled in thought.

Try as she might, she just couldn't stop worrying for her friend. Harry's behaviour appeared to be so irrational lately that she seriously considered consulting the Headmistress on the matter. With Dumbledore no longer among the living, perhaps Professor McGonagall had a theory about what was going through Harry's mind to disturb him to such uncharacteristic levels. Unless Hermione could finally manage to coerce him into speaking up by herself, that is.

Sighing, Hermione lifted_ Complex Theories in Numerology_ back to eye-level, fully set on absorbing at least one sentence of what she was actually reading. Nevertheless, her optimistic plan soon proved to be futile.

Her fragile concentration broke as soon as her ears detected a foreign sound. Whatever it was, it had nothing to do with the soothing crackling of the burning logs. Raising herself to her elbows, Hermione strained her hearing. Yes, there it was again. By the sound of it, someone seemed to be talking in the dungeon corridor. And considering the thickness of the walls, they were not doing so gently.

Getting to her feet, the young witch made an effort to remain as silent as possible. Acutely aware of the factor that she was totally alone, she momentarily swayed in indecision. The curiosity, however, proved to be too tempting. And as long as she stayed within the warded chamber, there was nothing to fear, she reminded herself, cautiously approaching the wooden door.

The audible commotion on the other side was more distinguishable now, every other strained-pronounced word managing to reach her inquisitive ear.

_'This isn't right... they... with me... I cannot have... this... myself.'_

_'You are... other options... think what... will undoubtedly... over... us seven... chance at... will be... your independence... prefer to... your... instead?'_

There was an extended silence.

_'Fine... you have advised... I won't... sure that... there is no way... along... ability... please?'_

_'What, are you going... as well, Potter?'_

_'No! I just want... best option... I refuse to... know that... willing to look... free will... be enough... will you... sir?'_

Something else might have been said after that, but all Hermione could hear from her position was silence. When there was no further sound for a number of seconds, she took it as a sign to retreat.

However, before she could take one step, the door in front of her flew open. Scared out of her wits, the young witch froze where she was, her eyes wide. The idea of eavesdropping was bad enough in theory, but actually being caught in the act was utterly disgraceful.

Looming within the doorframe was none other than the imposing figure of Professor Snape, his countenance appearing to be more menacing than usual. Slightly to his left stood Harry Potter, his own expression somewhere between censure and relief. At any other time she would have loved to explore the circumstances behind such a bizarre mix of emotions.

At that moment, however, she was more preoccupied with her own awkward situation. The scowling visage of the dark wizard was not helping her embarrassment in the slightest.

'Professor Snape! I – so sorry, ' she blabbered. 'I meant to just check...didn't mean to – well – you know...was slightly worried that –'

'Save your pitiful excuses, Miss Granger,' he admonished in a harsh voice. 'We are both aware of what you were doing, and in denying it, you are simply lowering the standards of your esteemed _House_. How typical.'

His baleful eyes landed on the young man beside him next. 'I believe your detention for today is concluded, Mr. Potter. I am expecting you tomorrow night at the same time for your last session. Make your way to your precious tower now before you are caught wandering around after curfew... It would be _such_ a pity for you to lose further points.'

Remarkably, Harry simply nodded in assent. Shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, the young wizard focused his emerald gaze on his friend.

'Well...I guess I'm off, Hermione. I'll see you at breakfast then, alright?' he said with a slightly furrowed brow. 'Good night.'

He managed to spare her one miniscule smile before turning around and disappearing down the corridor.

With Harry's departure, Professor Snape entered the chamber, slamming the door forcefully behind him. Scowling, he inspected the perimeter of the room, pausing briefly on the discarded book beside the sofa. His gaze, once it came back to her, was black and intense.

'Do tidy up after yourself once you are finished with putting your feet up, Miss Granger. I may be your assigned protector, but I have not signed up to be your house-elf in any possible capacity,' he sneered and, without further ado, whirled toward his quarters, his dark robes flowing behind him.

Hermione did not know how long she remained standing there, staring into nothingness. A wide range of emotions orbited within her, though she was as of yet undecided as to which one she was more partial. Independent collections of phrases and random words kept springing into her mind but the general picture that they presented was inadequate. Slowly but surely, irritation began to spread through her system as a sole conclusion presented itself: she was being lied to. By one of her best friends, no less.

And if Harry Potter thought that she would idly recline and observe his abysmal attempts at secrecy, he had another think coming.

* * *

><p>The seventh-year boys' dormitory was uncharacteristically empty and silent that Saturday evening. Taking advantage of the weekend, most of the older students had gathered in the Gryffindor common room for a round of Exploding Snap or a friendly battle of Wizard's Chess. The luckiest out of them all, however, were the ones sprawled across the armchairs and sofas with their prospective boyfriends or girlfriends and playing games of a different nature. Monday was a day in the future, and there was no other care in the world.<p>

Therefore, the only occupant of the dormitory was a ginger-haired young wizard sprawled upon his four-poster bed, deeply involved in reading some kind of thick tome. That fact alone would have astounded his friends and family if not for the title on the cover: _Chudley Cannons; A History_.

Ron Weasley was just skimming through an intriguing paragraph chronicling what sole shade of orange could be associated with the team and the reasons behind it when Harry walked into the room.

'You're back! No body parts missing, then?' enquired Ron, giving his friend a cursory glance above his book.

The black-haired young man did not appear to have heard him as he walked towards the window. There he stood immobile, his hands deep in his pockets as he stared into the darkening landscape beyond.

Frowning, Ron finally set his book aside. Approaching Harry, the taller young man gingerly put a hand on his shoulder. Looking at the unmoving profile of his best friend, he clearly saw the last rays of sunlight glinting off his eyeglasses but nothing of what lay beyond them.

'Hey... listen, Harry,' he said, coughing uncomfortably, 'I know that you're _chummy_ and all for Snape now, but your behaviour's been really off lately. And... well... he might not be teaching Potions anymore, but are you sure he didn't hold your head over any fumes or something?'

His words were met with complete silence. A minute or two passed before Harry finally faced him. What Ron saw then in those green eyes was shocked him enough to unconsciously drop his hand from his friend's shoulder. For six years he had grown up knowing the levels of Harry's strength of character. Nevertheless, he was pretty sure he had never, ever witnessed such a display of emotion before. The only way he could describe it was... pure, unadulterated determination.

'Lately, Hermione has become convinced that you are deaf and selfish. Makes me wonder the same thing. However, for just this once, I hope you have the power to prove her wrong.

'There's a lot you haven't been made aware of... for your own good, I might add. However, I no longer have any other option but to tell you all that I know.

'Listen, and listen carefully to me, Ron. We might just have a shot at destroying Voldemort once and for all...luck and fate be damned.'

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><p><strong>*drum roll* uhhh... Do I have you intrigued yet? Positive reviews would be lovely, as always! However, no flames please... I am as hot as it is in this bloody weather, folks! :)<strong>

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**LadyNorth76**: *sighs in delight* Then, it would be my pleasure to reveal that from now on, you will be seeing many more of the interactions of that kind! Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, my Lady ;) x

**HPFanGirl01**: Your words come as a great compliment to me! I do try my best to keep everyone to their cannon selves – right up to the point where Rowling would have fainted dead away at their "unappropriate behaviour"! Hehe ;) Thank you very much for leaving a review and I'm most definitely looking forward to reading more of your opinions in the future! XD

**MrsNonCannonPairings**: *blushes* It's because of reviewers like you that I enjoy writing fan-fiction so much! I have no words to express how much your review touched me, seriously... And I thank you very, very much for putting a big, wide smile on my face today (or tonight, as it is!) :D I will try my best and keep your enjoyment on the highest level possible, darling! x

**sweet-tang-honney**: Thank you very much! :)

**Kermit 304**: Ah, it's a true delight to hear from you again, Kermit! :))) At first, I haven't even realized in what light I have depicted Severus in the paragraph you're mentioning – until I re-read it. But then, I do see the similarities between the two wizards: not as much in their appearance, but in the circumstances of their birth... both Half-Bloods, not much of a family to speak of... And yet, such different fates they have. You'll definitely be seeing me coming back to this point later on in the story, let me tell you that! *tries to put on a mysterious face* Oh, and Snape _does_ know quiet a bit about our dear Hermione... facts, but not what makes her who she is – yet! Hmmm... And Ron... argh! Seriously, for all of her genius, I just do not grasp dear J.K's viewpoint on how Hermione and Ron could_ ever_ have been perfect for each other! *makes a face* Therefore, that's where my imagination kicks in and embraces the possibility of Alternative Universes! *snickers* Thank you once again for such a lovely and constructive review, and I'm most certainly looking forward to reading your opinion on this one as well! *gives Kermit a big, blueberry muffin as a bribe* ;) XD


	8. Winds of Change

**A/N: Well, there you go! This is the last "written and completed" chapter, everyone! From now on, you shall be following my writing "live"...and I cannot stress enough how much your positive support means to me! I thank all of you who had favourited and put this story on their alert list! And especially the ones that reviewed ;) Responses at the end of the chapter!**

**My greatest praise goes to Liongirl11, whose beta talents floor me each and every time! *smooches***

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><p><strong>Winds of Change<strong>

After spending the majority of what was left of the weekend simmering in contemplation and utter frustration, it was truly a relief to once again face the certainty of a busy and homework-filled week. It was no real surprise, then, that Monday morning found Hermione waking up with the solid assurance that she would dig into the matter of her friend's foolish evasion with all the stubbornness she could muster. After spending six years as one part of the so-called Golden Trio (oh, how she despised that name at times), she regarded herself as quite knowledgeable about her friend's tactics and the portholes within them.

However, once again, and one time too many, the logical solution seemed to evade her.

In opposition to everything she had come to expect, both Harry _and_ Ron's behaviour was nothing like what she had so painstakingly been preparing herself for. Instead, it had managed to throw her completely out of kilter. They began to not only patiently wait to escort her to and from every lesson of the day, but they also somehow managed to accompany her to every meal. What was more, every morning from then on found them dutifully waiting at the doors of the Great Hall, and she knew for a fact that neither of them were of the early-riser variety.

Taken aback by such an uncharacteristic approach, Hermione found herself torn. On one hand, she would have had to have been born rather dim-witted to have failed to comprehend that she was being tactfully hoodwinked. Be that as it may, she couldn't help but feel less guarded having her two best friends back by her side again. Therefore, the trio recommenced their tentative routine, though in a much more subdued and awkward sense than ever before.

Such behaviour remained true to form until Friday of the same week.

As soon as dinner came to an end, the majority of the school's students grudgingly began to make their way towards their respective dormitories. Nevertheless, a number of them were still scattered around the Great Hall, seemingly determined to prolong the enjoyment of the extensive dessert selections that hadn't vanished off the long tables as of yet for as long as possible.

However, in contrast to the teenaged gluttony of her peers, the most Hermione could force herself to do for the duration of her dinner was to half-heartedly chase a cherry tomato with a fork around the perimeter of her plate. The piece of white bread she actually talked herself into swallowing had tasted like yesterday's ash. If things kept progressing in this fashion any longer, it would be no surprise if she soon found herself fainting out of sheer lack of appetite. The unresolved situation between her and the two boys she cared most about in the world was upsetting to say the least. Even though a number of days had managed to pass since the reunion of their trio, no significant conversations had taken place. Nothing. Zilch. In fact, silence became a new customary guest between the three of them. The Golden Trio was steadily transforming into a Golden _Quartet_.

To say that Hermione Granger was becoming increasingly frustrated would have been a great understatement.

Making her way out of the hall, empty stomach and all, the young witch was acutely aware of the two Gryffindors trailing _silently_ behind her. With her nerves as taut as the strings of a violin, it came as no surprise when they finally broke with a practically audible _snap_ as soon as her hypersensitive ears detected hushed whispering behind her back.

Enough was enough.

'That's IT! I cannot–'

'Eh, listen, I–'

The witch in question halted with all the finesse of running into an invisible wall. Whirling around, she stared incredulously at one Ronald Weasley, who had not deigned to address her once since that memorable Great Hall fiasco. The fact that they had begun talking at the same moment was either sheer dumb luck or something else entirely.

'I wanna apologize,' rumbled Ron in a rush, before Hermione had the chance to make her half-open mouth operational again. 'I know that I'm a bloody git and everything like that. Hell, I'll probably remain one when I'm all beardy and shriveled to the bone. B-but it doesn't mean that I consider you less of a friend–never! So...well...I guess I just want to say sorry and all that for being such a complete idiot, 'Mione. You've been my best friend since we were eleven, and nothing will change that, I swear.'

When Hermione remained unmoving and uncharacteristically silent, Ron shared a slightly anxious look with Harry, who was nervously fidgeting with his tie.

As the silence continued to stretch, the youngest Weasley boy cleared his throat rather hoarsely. 'Ah...yes. And I'm also sorry for calling you 'Mione, 'Mione...oh, bloody hell!' he groaned in frustration. 'I'm sorry! It's just, you're you and it's impossible, 'cos you are–'

The rest of his speech ended with an undignified _oof!_ as Hermione pounced bodily onto him, her right arm clutching him to her in a near-suffocating embrace. In passing, she somehow managed to grab hold of Harry's cloak as well and mashed the three of them together.

'Oh, Ron,' she whispered, surprisingly managing to squeeze something out of her suddenly too-tight throat, 'I have never doubted your friendship...your quirk for mood swings and unnatural gourmandism, maybe. But _never_ your friendship.'

Hermione felt rather than heard Harry's sigh of relief, his palm placing itself just below her shoulder blades in an obvious sign of reassurance.

Ron, on the other hand, kept his silence. She was starting to wonder whether she was actually squeezing him too hard when his perplexed voice filled the air around them.

'What in bloody hell is "gourmandism"?'

Hermione burst out laughing in sheer delight. 'Oh, boys. I love you so much, you fools...'

Indeed, as the trio stood there hugging in a shadowed and otherwise vacant corridor of the grand Scottish castle, Hermione wished that the present feeling of contentment and utter happiness would remain with her forever. She wanted to grab the first available chance to shove this memory into a Pensieve and review it over and over again on a rainy day.

'I guess this is where I'll have to love you and leave you, boys. But I shall see you two as soon as you return from Hogsmeade tomorrow evening, alright?' said Hermione with a smile as soon as they managed to disentangle themselves from each other.

Instead of with words, the two young men responded to her enquiry with encouraging smiles upon their faces. Even the fact that they seemed somewhat faint no longer upset Hermione. She just had to remind herself more often that she was actually dealing with boys here, whose actions were justified by their complicated gender issues.

With a parting, heartfelt grin, Hermione finally turned around towards the corridor leading to the dungeons.

Lifting her eyes from the floor, her heart momentarily picked up speed in alarm. In her direct path stood a shadowed figure, its tall, cloaked form both imposing and menacing. With her breath catching, it took Hermione a couple of moments to comprehend that what was in front of her was not a Dementor but Professor Snape. In fact, as her fleeting panic subsided, it was easy to distinguish the wizard's pale face among all of his darkness, his gaze fixed intently upon the three Gryffindors in front of him.

Silently berating herself for behaving so foolishly, Hermione gave her two best friends one last encouraging smile.

'And you better bring the Hogwarts inmate something! For those of you with short memory spans, I remind you that from time to time I do enjoy other types of quills that do not come from birds and are not meant for writing!'

Still beaming, she tentatively approached Professor Snape, who didn't even deign to give her a cursory glance. Instead, his intense eyes kept burrowing into the two young wizards standing stock-still in the middle of the corridor, whose gazes stared unflinchingly back at him with identical unreadable expressions upon their faces.

Unexpectedly, the older wizard inclined his head an inch forward, his eyes never straying from their perusal. 'Mr. Weasley...Mr. Potter,' he intoned colourlessly before turning swiftly in a whirl of robes and departing down the corridor with Hermione almost running to keep up with his long-legged strides.

Whilst briskly walking towards their joined chambers, Hermione covertly appraised the billow of her professor's cloak in front of her. All in all, the young witch surmised distractedly, it felt rather nice to be surrounded by something that was both familiar and relatively normal, even if it did revolve around the most feared professor in all of Hogwarts' history.

Thank heavens, some things did not change.

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><p>The dark tiny platform of Hogsmeade Station was, for all intents and purposes, deserted, with only a handful of witches and wizards scattered about as the skies released a merciless downpour of October rain onto the land below. Soaked individuals ran as fast as the wet ground permitted them, the howling wind egging them on until they were able to jump onto the steps of the standing train, which steadily emitted heavy bursts of white steam in preparation for its approaching departure.<p>

Quite unexpectedly, a harried-looking couple burst onto the platform from a small path that lead towards the village. The man quickly scanned the perimetre of the station form beneath his heavy, caterpillar-like eyebrows before focusing on the whistling train itself. Absentmindedly flipping his hand in a sign to be followed, he addressed his companion without bothering to turn around.

'Come on!'

Whilst the man had no visible problems climbing the steps into the nearest coach, the woman accompanying him was another matter altogether. Dressed from neck to toe in cheap robes of dark green that held a dim resemblance to a Muggle parachute, the material only added to the bulk of the witch's paunchy figure. Clearly out of breath, she wheezed and gasped loudly as she finally waddled up to the train, her sausage-like fingers clutching tightly at the material over her ample bosom. Upon detecting the three miniscule steps in front of her, the witch stared at them with something akin to horror.

'You gotta be kidding me! At this rate I'm gonna earn myself a heart attack well before I reach London!' she exclaimed in a shrill voice.

The man, who was clearly the woman's husband if the matching wedding bands on their fingers were anything to go by, shot a distressed look around them.

'Do be quiet, _Lizzie!_' he barked irritably, grabbing his wife's pale hand with both of his. Gathering all of his strength, he gave an almighty tug and hauled her inside the carriage. The unexpectedly high speed of their momentum nearly brought both of them crashing to the carpeted floor, and the otherwise empty passageway of the train was instantly filled with colourful vocabulary choices.

'This is beyond ridiculous! If I'm not gonna die of cardiac arrest before we reach our destination, I will probably die of embarrassment! He did it on purpose, I swear it! Who in bl–'

'_Don't you dare!_'

The witch's mouth shut with a click. Giving the wizard a disgusted look from her small, deep-set eyes, she snorted once rather inelegantly. Absentmindedly running her hands along her body to make sure everything was in its rightful place, she paused abruptly somewhere in the vicinity of her chest, at which point her face adopted an expression of utter revulsion.

Mumbling something under her breath -low enough so that she went unheard- the witch threw another meaningful glance towards her companion before slowly making her way along the carriage's narrow passageway. Perhaps it was fortunate that she failed to hear the wizard's feeble attempts to stifle his sniggering at the panorama displayed in front of him. With the train already on the go, the woman's wide body easily bounced from one side of the aisle to the other, with an obvious lack of discomfort due to nature's thoughtful provision of extra cushioning.

The couple retreated to their seats with relieved sighs as soon as they made absolutely sure that the compartment's door was securely locked and the area around them magically silenced.

The middle-aged witch appeared to overestimate the true power of her bulk yet again and landed her tush upon the seat underneath her with enough force to set all of her three chins wobbling in unison with each other, causing the wizard in front of her to wince involuntarily. The image in front of him had become too familiar to him for his own peace of mind.

'Stop staring!'

'I'm not!' exclaimed the wizard in indignation but spoiling it the next moment as his body emitted another unintentional shiver.

'Argh! You see? It's disgusting! Repulsing! Though I've no idea why you are reacting the way you are, _honey-bun_. You're not much of a looker either, let me tell you,' drawled out the witch in a sickly-syrupy voice, giving his protruding beer belly a meaningful glance.

'I am not complaining, unlike some others I know! Oh, and while we're on this subject, don't forget to drink your cough potion in around ten minutes or so, _dear._'

'Don't look so smug, _darling_. As far as I remember, you have to do the same thing yourself!' was the snappy retort.

Without a doubt the bickering would have continued for quite awhile, but at that particular moment, the slow-moving train gave a particularly violent lurch as it finally began to pick up speed. Momentarily thrown about, the duo reflexively looked out of the compartment's window. And froze.

There, upon the hill that looked a stone's throw away yet in reality was an impressive distance away, stood a castle the likes of which neither of them had ever seen before and would probably never see again for as long as they lived. The gathering darkness of the waning twilight rapidly closed around the surrounding mountains, coercing a number of the countless windows to fill it with flickering lights. Two pairs of eyes stared unblinkingly towards the rapidly diminishing sight beyond their window, filled to the brink with bittersweet memories.

'Will it really work?'

No answer was forthcoming at first as the two of them continued to stare silently towards the general vicinity of the object of their thoughts once more.

'It has to, doesn't it? There's no other choice. Because otherwise...' replied the wizard broodingly.

There was no need to finish the sentence. Unfortunately, both of them knew only too well what that ending consisted of.

And as the steam train pushed its way towards London, the witch and the wizard continued to stare towards the horizon long after Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry disappeared from their troubled eyes and minds. For neither of them knew when they would be able to see its splendor again.

If ever.

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><p>Stretching languidly on top of her maroon bedcovers, Hermione let her sleepy consciousness take a couple of minutes to adjust to reality. The last thing she clearly remembered was reading under the light of her wand, as, in her estimation, there was still plenty of time before everyone returned from their Hogsmeade outing and no time was better spent than poring over a book...from her sole, but no less rightful, perspective, she might add.<p>

Blinking groggily, her eyes managed to stay focused enough to make out the display of the wizarding clock standing proudly upon her bedside table. Upon seeing the time, the young witch uttered a soft curse before rolling out of the bed as swiftly as possible.

Leaving her rather slept-in t-shirt and rumpled jeans as they were, Hermione cautiously exited her bedroom and headed towards the living room.

Fully expecting to find Professor Snape at his usual hobby of shadowing the chamber menacingly, as was usual before escorting her to the Great Hall for a meal, she was understandably surprised to find the room empty upon entering it. Looking around somewhat perplexed, she absentmindedly wondered what could have possibly detained him. No matter what tales and myths were spun about his persona, Hermione now knew for a fact that Professor Snape took his responsibilities very seriously, almost to the point of losing his pulse in certain ways.

She, however, also stubbornly refused to accept the fact that that description also fit another person suspiciously well, and she knew her very, very well.

All those matters aside, though, the fact that she had managed to oversleep remained unchanged. First time for her, of course, though that factor did not lighten the blow to her pride whatsoever. She just hoped that Harry and Ron had not had the time to become too worried about her yet. Judging by the protective tendencies the two of them had been showing towards her lately, she was, in some measure, anxious herself about what trouble they could possibly get themselves into next if and when they found her MIA, so to speak.

Continuing to berate herself under her breath, Hermione was about to call for a house-elf and politely ask him for assistance (S.P.E.W. might have died a long and most painful death, but that did not mean her morals had done the same) when something on the floor caught her eye.

Intrigued despite herself, the young witch cautiously approached, until she was standing right above it.

It was a letter of some sort, its position and distance from the fireplace clearly indicating that someone with a connection to Professor Snape's floo had sent it through. Bending down, she picked it up. There were two rather important details in the present situation that made this action justifiable.

The messy scrawl across the face of the envelope was only too familiar to her. And it bore her name.

With her left hand locating the sofa behind her, Hermione tentatively sat on the very edge of it, unable to tear her eyes away from the object held tightly between her thumb and forefinger. An unaccustomed silence filled all corners of her consciousness when she at long last brought her other hand up and opened the envelope.

As soon as she pulled out the single sheet of paper, she felt a long, but lightweight object fall out of the envelope.

Upon her lap lay an innocent-looking sugar quill, as real-looking as any bird quill out there if not for the slight sweet aroma emitting from it.

And as soon as Hermione's eyes fell upon it, her heart seemed to cease its beating for a second before it hammered its way onwards, rapid and heavy with dread.

With shaking fingers she pried the letter apart and began to read...

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><p><strong>*ducks the rotten vegetables being thrown at her* Yes! I'm a sucker for cliffies <em>and<em> mysteries! And proud of it... *pauses to wipe tomato juice from her eyes* ))) Positive and supporting reviews are more then welcome! Feed the muse! ;)))**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**slytherinchick123**: *beams happily* The most important thing is that you've managed to review now! ))) "Emo Harry", eh? *smirks* Ohhh, your comment was spot on! However, on his place I wouldn't have been fairing any happier either, me thinks... The amount of books within Snape's chambers make a very enticing bribe material, don't you think? So yes, I do think that Snape will make Hermione happier very soon ;))) hehe... thank you for your review, darling! x

**Kermit 304**: *re-reads your reviews for the 51st time, blushing all the while* Your heartfelt comments makes me practically hover my chair with elated happiness! ))) Yes, Harry and Snape do have an agreement between the two of them and it involves the Horcruxes. Hermione (I really do feel for her here!) at this point is totally oblivious to what fate has in store for her... which is ironic, considering her total aversion for Divination! *zips her mouth shut* Now, I think those hints will be enough *whistles innocently* Thank you once more for your lovely words, Kermit! I appreciate your input to my muse and hope that the latest chapter was to your satisfaction! ;) x

**sweet-tang-honney**: Thank you very much! Your reviews are very much appreciated! :) XD

**LadyNorth76**: *blinks worriedly* I know that your hopes to see a confrontation between Hermione/Snape did not come true, but that shall change in the next chapter! The contents of this latest chapter were absolutely needed to set the scene up for the rest of the story... which point of view shall remain with our favourite couple ;) However, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless as well! Thank you for reviewing, as always ))) x

**liidg**: Thank you, darling! Hope you are liking it! A Snape/Hermione confrontation coming next... hehe :P XD

**HPFanGirl01**: *rubs hands in anticipation* I would really love to know what you made of this chapter! Special cookie points for any ideas as to what is really going on now... though some of it (the bigger mystery is still to be revealed) shall be unveiled in the next chapter! Yep, I'm evil... *hehe* Thank you for taking your time to review! Yours words are lovely to read ))) x

**sasusaku-fanXD**: *gives a second squeal* Your words warm my heart, dear! The confrontation between our favourite couple is coming up in the next chapter, I promise! I will think about your request for fluff ... perhaps at the end of the tale? Hmmm ))) Yes, I think I will be able to do something about that :) *wink wink* Creepy Harry... hehe! I know what you mean though! Looking forward to reading your next review! And thanks again ;) x

**Dopplegranger**: (Long reviews, long reply! Hehehe) It so lovely to see you back, darlin'! *Ms Velvela gives a squeal* ))) What is more, it was absolutely delightful to turn on my computer and see so many reviews... from you alone! That instantly puts you up on a pedestal in my little world! *slaps an "Honorary Reviewer" badge on Dopplegranger* I shall try my best now and address as many of your points as possible ;)

1) With Hermione coming out to be very much in character here, I just couldn't resist bringing her back to consciousness with that "Homework" comment *snicker* Hey, what could you possibly expect from a your witch such as hers whose worst nightmare is that of a failed exam? Hehe

2) Neville – ah, I do really feel for that boy... but once more, it's practically impossible to resist putting him into situations such as you've read in Chapter 5! *giggles*

3) Concerning Hermione's isolation in Snape's chambers: as you will very soon see (I never reveal all of my cards until the latest second possible! Muahaha), his flat is much, much more protected then anyone (including Hermione) knows so far! However, it will take a certain incident for all to be revealed... ;)

4) Next chapter will most certainly be the milestone in bringing some understanding between the two of them! (Alright, just from Snape's point of view but Hermione will be a close second!) :))) Hermione will have to somehow make Snape trust her before the books will come in... and I will most certainly add some comical "book" incidents as we progress! Hehe...

5) You would be pleased to know that I've happily passed on your lovely Howler to a certain male red-head! Poor dear, I do think the tips of his ears are still pink from all the tongue-lashing he got from you... *tsk tsk* But hey, he deserved it! Well done! Perhaps now he has learned his lesson... but we shall see, hm? Lol ;)

*sighs in content* Such lovely reviews you manage to weave! I hope this chapter was to your liking as well, though! Even though you haven't been shown the conversation between Harry and Snape, it will be revealed... at the right time, of course! *evil cackle* In truth, the plot of this story of mine is rather complex and I take one step at a time with careful measurements - every mystery in here needs to be revealed with care, or the story will just go down the drain *bursts out crying at the mere thought if it all* Oh, and thank you for the lovely, lovely fudge! Looking forward to hearing from you again! Thank you yet again for all of your lovely words and comments! XD )))


	9. Contemplations

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies! Nothing really to say concerning this chapter... I think you'll find out everything about it soon enough ;) **

**Special thanks go to my wonderful beta (or should I say Alpha?) liongirl11! If I was a poet, I would have said that she's the light in my darkness ))) hehe. **

**Enjoy! x**

**Oh, and please, please leave your reviews! I respond to each and every one privately, no matter what ;) **

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><p><strong><span>Contemplations<span>  
><strong>

_Hermione,_

_By the time you read this, we (Ron and I) will be long gone from the grounds of Hogwarts and Scotland altogether. I can't tell you where we are headed, but know that we have taken every possible precaution to ensure that we will not be recognized during our travels. You might have guessed the nature of our mission for yourself by now._

_I'm sorry for deceiving you, both of us are. But you are in too much danger to join us on this hunt. In all my conscience, there's no way I could put you into any further peril than you already face — and all because of me._

_We're sorry for not telling you anything of this and for not saying a proper goodbye. But knowing you as well as we do, you would've done anything in your power to stop us from leaving. And that was not part of the plan._

_Please do not be angry with us. We only did what was right._

_With lots of love,_

_Harry and Ron_

_P.S. Whatever happens, stay close to Snape. He will protect you._

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><p>Staring hard at the expanse of wooden surface in front of his nose, Severus berated himself for hesitating to open the door —the one to his own rightful quarters, for Merlin's sake.<p>

Unable to hear any noise from within, he wasn't sure if the girl had already ceased her predictable hysterics or was still consumed by them. Being the man he was, he never understood women's tears. And neither did he want to, really. Generally, he preferred to stay as far away from overemotional females as possible, especially when there was the merest hint of impending waterworks on the horizon. His life was complicated as it was, without adding the extra baggage of an emotional witch to it. And the one that was beyond the door in front of him had all the potential of becoming one of the worst case scenarios. That is, the moment she discovered what exactly her two _friends had_ decided to pull on her.

_Idiotic, insolent Gryffindors_, he sneered inwardly. His obsidian-black eyes continued to scrutinize the door with the utmost intensity, as if he could see right through it to the member of that blasted House within.

Oh, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that she was there. The so-called intelligent witch couldn't have even begun to summarize just how many protection spells she was surrounded by inside those quarters of hers. Or out of them, for that matter. By the end of the day, he would've known the exact millisecond when she sneezed where she wasn't supposed to.

Surely he had given her enough time to collect herself, hadn't he? In that instant, however, that same reflection brought a scowl to his face. The mere thought of deigning once more to bow to the whims of another was just too nauseating to even contemplate as a theory.

Whispering the incantation for the wards under his breath, his wrist flicked expertly in complicated arcs of invisible numbers and symbols. At long last, a rapidly suppressed shivering sensation washed over his body, signaling the momentary drop in the room's defences.

Still scowling, the black-haired wizard grabbed hold of the doorknob and, without further ado, slipped inside as inconspicuously as a shadow.

What he found inside was not entirely what he had expected.

Instead of coming upon agitation that merited a girl her age, Hermione Granger sat absolutely still upon the couch adjacent to the fireplace. With her spine ramrod straight, he could not see one hint of moisture anywhere upon her cheeks. The glow from the dying fire reflected blazingly within her brown eyes, the exact shade of which he could clearly discern now from the angle of where he stood. A single sheet of parchment was clutched tightly in her wand hand, whilst her other had a death grip upon a quill of some sort.

'Did you know?' she asked in a near-whisper, her eyes not once straying from the crackling fire.

For a moment, Severus simply stood there, without a single sarcastic retort begging to fall from his lips. Whatever he had expected from a young, naive Gryffindor, it wasn't this.

'Did you, _Professor?_'

It looked like his lack of response was finally hitting her in her weak spot, if her noticeably hardened voice was anything to go by. Her patronizing tone marked the return of his own sneer to its rightful place. The fact that she sounded suspiciously close to himself at that moment he sagely chose to ignore.

'And what does your so-cherished mind tell you, Miss _Granger_?' he drawled, his eyes burning holes into the witch in question. 'Those dunderheads wouldn't have known what do within five minutes of leaving for their "quest". You do not actually think they would have been able to develop even a mediocre plan with the combination of their brainpower, do you? If not for his luck in finding allies in the weirdest of places, I fear Mr. Potter would have been nothing but a rotting head upon the Dark Lord's spike by now.'

'Don't say that!' she exclaimed, her nails digging deep into the arms of the sofa.

'It's nothing less than a simple statement of fact.'

He could have sworn the chit emitted something that sounded like a growl.

'Stop playing your word games with me, Professor. What I want to know is why you didn't tell me anything! And do not think, even for one second, that I believe that it was Harry and Ron who were the ones to veto the idea of me helping them. Instead of actually doing everything within my power for them, I'm hiding like the last milksop within these four walls. _Why?_'

'Perhaps your friends simply wished to return the favour and protect _you_, for a change... Did you even think of that?' he asked, his sneer more profound then ever. 'However, I doubt you have the capability of understanding everything fully yet.'

The young witch furrowed her eyebrows in clear annoyance. 'What do you mean?'

'You do not yet know the true meaning of _sacrifice_, Miss Granger. You're too young to realise the implications of what a person is capable of achieving once they find something they truly care about. You, on the other hand, are still too naïve for that spectre of understanding. The fact that you're solely concentrating upon your own misgivings and feelings of unfairness concerning Potter and Weasley, instead of putting yourself in their place... Well, that proves how absolutely correct I really am.'

'_Naïve?_' hissed the Gryffindor with so much vehemence, she was practically shaking.

'You...are calling me...naïve?' she repeated once more, her voice deadly. 'Do you even know what I had to go through these past few years? What I was forced to do? Actually, _do_ be so kind as to share, Professor — do you really know what it feels like to Obliviate your entire existence from every nook and corner of your parents' minds in order to protect _them?_ To know that you're wiping away every morsel of your existence from the only people that loved you with no questions asked from the day you were born? If I ever had any naïveté left by that point in time, it most certainly disappeared the moment I saw no other choice but to train my wand upon their backs.'

No longer sitting, the Gryffindor's delicate hands were balled up into tight fists, clutching them closely against her rigid body. Severus suddenly found himself fascinated by the way she reigned in her control. It was glaringly obvious just how much her body begged her to simply let go and lash out. The true extent of her emotions spilled only from her eyes. The orange glow of the dying fire reflected mesmerizingly within the pools of the whiskey-coloured eyes that shown with a light of wrath lighting them from within.

'I will answer my own question, then, if no answer is forthcoming from you,' she informed him mockingly. He was just about to say something scathing when she carelessly interrupted him, either ignorant or simply uncaring of his comeback. 'True sacrifice is when you force yourself to let go of the ones you love, and all because of that exact same wondrous and damning feeling. You are willing to suffer anything if it means bringing happiness and safety to them.'

She was already at the corridor leading towards their living quarters when she whirled back around and focused her telltale eyes upon his once more.

'Perhaps it is you who doesn't know what sacrifice is really about. What would _you_ have done for the ones you loved, Professor?' she whispered questioningly.

Their gazes locked. And for just a moment there, he could have sworn that hers became suspiciously bright. But the witch deliberately turned her head away just before the first drop of moisture could spill onto her cheek. Wordlessly, she disappeared down the passageway without sparing him another glance.

The silence that descended was broken moments later by an echoing bang of a slamming door.

And as for Severus Snape, he continued to stare unblinkingly at the spot where the witch had stood long after she was gone. If not for his wildly glittering eyes, his pale face could have passed for a porcelain mask for all the emotion it showed. His prominent Adam's apple bobbed visibly as the Gryffindor's words ran through his mind over and over again. Especially the ones she had kept for last.

The uncaring bookshelves and furniture became the room's sole witnesses to the single word that was whispered heavily into the hanging air, the emotion within it virtually overpowering.

'_Anything._'

The last ember in the fireplace gave off its final spark before promptly vanishing from existence forever more.

* * *

><p>From a handful of previous experiences, Hermione knew how long and hard it could be to get rid of the overwhelming feeling of betrayal and anger. The present situation she found herself in was no exception. Actually, taking everything into account (the incident with Ron and Lavender back in sixth year included), she found herself hard-pressed to remember the last time she had felt so emotionally tortured. After all she had done for the boys — the research she had done, the potions she had brewed —yet they had somehow found it within them to move on without her. Or were they truly so concerned about her safety that they had chosen to deceive her rather than risk the chance of losing her? But the theory was as ridiculous as it was hypothetical. Harry had much, much more to fear, and he had still left the safety of Hogwarts without a single glance back, dragging Ron's arse along for the ride to boot.<p>

Nevertheless, for all of her righteous anger, the witch simply couldn't force herself to settle upon a specific opinion for more than a couple of minutes. Worry piled up onto the tower of her frayed nerves and gnawed persistently each time she thought of either of her best friends, by themselves, Godric only knew where by now.

The school's reaction in the days that followed the revelation that Harry Potter had disappeared from Hogwarts' grounds together with Ron Weasley did not help her one iota. Rumours spread high and wide as to the reason behind the absence of the Boy-Who-Lived. The nosiest of the students who actually dared to approach Hermione head-on with their enquires went unnoticed in the midst of her constant agonizing thoughts. The ones she did chance to take note of were met with an uneasy smile before she quickly shuffled off (her designated escort in tow) to whatever location she thought she was needed at the most.

What she couldn't escape as easy as that, however, was her own growing feeling of guilt towards Professor Snape. Upon waking the very next morning after her abysmal treatment of him the night before, the feeling just expanded more prominently within her principle viewpoint.

A couple of times she attempted to confront him, with a grudging apology at the ready, but his stony silence rapidly discouraged any attempts beyond opening her mouth. It was only a week later that she caught him one evening marking what seemed like first years' essays. Quickly determining that the time was no better than any other, she took a deep breath.

'If you simply_ must_ stand there giving an uncanny impression of a stuffed blow-fish, Miss Granger, feel free to do something useful at least.'

The witch in question considered in silence first the scowling visage of the wizard, then the pile of parchments thrust in her general direction. Promptly becoming aware of holding her breath, Hermione let it all out, which made her body practically deflate with an audible _whoosh_.

Red-faced, she rapidly contemplated the present situation once more, before obediently taking the proffered papers.

'Thank you, Professor,' she murmured softly but completely sincerely. As a matter of fact, she had never heard of him allowing any other hand to mark his students' work but his own. The mere idea that she could be the first one was so elevating that she could have sworn she physically swelled with pride.

The black-haired wizard grunted something unintelligible, his gaze not straying once from the scrolls in front of him.

Hermione's delight, however, began to die a rapid and most painful death soon enough. Within a matter of minutes, the witch's scowl unconsciously matched the exact same one upon the countenance of the sole other occupant of the chamber. Her quill similarly swished and flicked its feather more violently with each ridiculous mistake upon which she had the misfortune of coming. Honestly, were they for real? She was aware that every generation differed in their reasoning from the ones before them...but what she saw before her now was simply beyond anyone's comprehension. She bewilderedly wondered just what _exactly_ the first years of today had managed to listen with.

_Ashwinders were able to be defeated only if a bucket of ice-cold water — fresh-spring — was dumped on them from a distance no less than four feet, so as to strengthen the force of the impact. _

Really?

Inadvertently, Hermione's compassion towards Severus Snape grew with every obnoxious essay she marked. Frustrating as it was to encounter such sheer stupidity right now, she couldn't imagine what it felt like to be confronted by it every day of your life.

Once the last essay had received a scratchy _Troll_ across its front a considerable time later, she wearily leaned back on the sofa and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. If she had _ever _contemplated taking up the mantle of teacher, those essays certainly shriveled away that notion in the bud as swiftly as an _Ipomoea alba_ did under a midday sun.

Surely, the sheer patience of those who actually found that profession to be their calling was worthy of a monument of two.

Unbidden, her curious gaze focused on Professor Snape. It seemed like he had not so much as shifted from the last position she had seen him in. Clad in his customary robes, his only movement was that of his hand as it wrote furiously and unforgivably across every paper that had the misfortune of crossing his path. Every other violent movement of his eagle quill made his black hair swing away from his pale face, momentarily revealing the dark eyes beneath.

Inexplicably entranced by the image of the focused man in front of her, Hermione lost herself in her thoughts. She must have been more tired than she had anticipated, for that was certainly the only excuse as to why she decided to open her troublemaking mouth once again.

'Why did you do it?'

Snape didn't deign to raise his eyes from his marking at her sudden query. The sound of his quill, however, paused rather abruptly for a number of moments before it recommenced its job.

'What exactly are you talking about?' he asked at last, his voice completely devoid of emotion.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Hermione momentarily pondered the wisdom of continuing. True, she had already inadvertently taken the first step on the line of questioning she had thirsted after since the fiasco the previous year. On the other hand, though, Snape was not exactly known for his open and sweet disposition, and no one actually dared to question him in any known capacity. Professor Dumbledore's face momentarily flashed before her eyes, but she quickly disregarded the notion of asking anything surrounding the circumstances of his demise. She had an unexplainable inkling that that question would be answered in its rightful time and place.

Therefore, the witch saw no other option than to gather all of her lionhearted reserve and rush on before she had the chance to fully gain back her sanity.

'Become a spy? Teach? It's obvious how much you despise it all, and yet...there you are.'

Utter silence.

When no response was forthcoming after several painfully dragging heartbeats, Hermione's hands began to methodically straighten out the creases across her jeans-clad knees. Becoming decidedly uncomfortable with every passing second, she also suddenly became conscious of the possibility of having had crossed some unspoken and forbidden line. With her nerves frayed as they were, she very much doubted she was ready for another standoff with the dour wizard. In the best case, she was looking at the possibility of costing her house a considerable amount of points, with a few zeros thrown in for good measure.

Rising abruptly, she barely managed to mumble a strained "sorry", before trying to make her escape from the chamber and him as quickly as possible.

But before she could do just that, his voice halted her in her tracks.

'Guilt's a funny thing, Miss Granger,' he drawled. Still not looking at her, his mesmerizing voice possessed the same faraway quality as had the eyes that now stared unseeingly down on the papers before him.

'When it reaches a certain level of intolerability,' he continued, 'there's nothing that matters anymore. You're ready to do anything, no matter what the price, for the sake of the possibility of setting things right... The most you can, that is.'

She did not know how long she simply stood there, fixed in place, attempting to discern even a hint of his thoughts beyond that passive expression. There was something about the way he said what he did that pulled at the invisible strings of her heart with a bittersweet intensity. However, she neither knew why he had consented to give her the first ever answer to one of her questions, nor what exactly it was about him that enthralled her so much.

At last, after what seemed like an age of silence, his long fingers squeezed convulsively around the quill, almost snapping it in half. Every sharp angle of his face was set in stone as if already regretting giving her any response at all, no matter how vague.

'Retire now, Miss Granger, and leave me alone with my work, without your senseless questionings,' he barked irritably. Not sparing her a single glance, he brought his nose dangerously close to the parchment in a glaring display of dismissal.

She continued to scrutinize him silently for the longest time after that. All the while, her mind diligently brought up all the memories she had of him from all these past years. Something was missing among that giant puzzle of complexity, and she had no notion whatsoever of what that might be. But whatever it was, that absent link had the potential to complete the picture of what was really going on in the wizard's head. And probably provide the answers to many questions as well...

It was quite some time later that she found herself, at long last, walking back to the isolation of her own bedroom — pondering and wondering every step of the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Things are progressing onwards... *drum roll* ;)<strong>


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